


Before the World Wakes

by foreverfelicityqueen (stydiasredstring), holysmoaksoliver



Series: Wake Verse [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Bratva Oliver, Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, father figure oliver, flommy detective team, slowburn flommy, slowburn olicity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-20 19:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 159,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4799705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stydiasredstring/pseuds/foreverfelicityqueen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/holysmoaksoliver/pseuds/holysmoaksoliver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy Merlyn doesn’t believe Oliver Queen is dead, despite his best friend having gone missing over two years ago.  He needs proof, one way or another; so when he encounters Felicity Smoak, the witty computer genius, the pair crisscross the globe on a mission to discover the truth about what happened when the Queen’s Gambit went down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dear readers:
> 
> Welcome! You should know this story has already been a wild ride and we’re just getting started. We are so glad that you’ve decided to join in. Updates will be weekly on Mondays on ao3 with links on Tumblr. Feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss a single chapter. We would love your feedback, so if you’d like leave us a comment or question. Thanks and enjoy!
> 
> P.S. The events of this story begin during the flashbacks of 3x14

Tommy Merlyn had never been much of one for conspiracies.  He always took things at face value, believed in what could be seen and little else.  But ever since his best friend went missing over two years ago, things had changed. Because Oliver Queen wasn’t just his best friend-- the two had grown up together, they were practically brothers.  And that made Oliver’s disappearance and alleged death a little harder to accept.

Tommy didn’t talk about it much, but he always wondered if Oliver was alive.  He always had that gnawing in the back of his mind telling him he should be looking for Oliver, telling him that he had to have proof- one way or the other- before he could accept that his best friend was gone for good.

If he were being honest with himself, Tommy was never really good at letting things go. His father called it having a soft heart, making it sound like a weakness to destroy, but he always kept a strong hold on it. It was why he so seldom got attached to women, terrified that he’d lose someone the same way he lost his mother and Oliver. So it was better to keep the girls he dated at arms length.  An infamous billionaire playboy to the core, he spent his time enjoying women whose names he would never learn and phone numbers he would never acquire.  Tommy Merlyn protected himself first and foremost.

Life after Oliver disappeared got complicated, and not just because Tommy lost his wingman.  Too many feelings resurfaced over losing his mother and Tommy couldn’t let the unknown of it all go on any longer.  So he started searching for his friend.  It was just a hobby at first-- something he did on the off-chance that he didn’t go out and bring a nameless woman home with him.  The obsession took hold of him when something popped up in Hong Kong-- an alert from Oliver’s email account.  Tommy had been stupid enough to go looking into it, flying all the way to Hong Kong just to get shut down by way of being kidnapped.  And now Tommy had been sitting on that damn recording of his own kidnapping for three months as curiosity scratched away at his brain more and more every day.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tommy rubbed his temples, trying to concentrate on the check he was writing out to the Glades Free Clinic.  Not that thinking about his mother's clinic was helping get his mind off Oliver at all. More like making it worse.

Tommy dropped his pen back on the desk, slipping the side drawer open. He pushed papers to the side, popping off the false bottom. There, in the secret spot, he kept the last momentos of the two people he missed the most. His mother’s wedding band, and a couple journals she had kept in her life. Of Ollie, Tommy had a few concert tickets and an empty bottle of whiskey- the first one they had ever nicked from his father’s stash. Tommy pulled the bottle from the drawer, uncapped it, and let the usb drive tumble into his hand.

It was paranoia, he knew, hiding the thing so far away from prying eyes. But he could still feel the bindings cutting into his wrists like it had happened yesterday. It was a miracle his kidnapper hadn’t found the recording device on him; if he had, Tommy would probably still be there-- or worse.

But he had somehow made it out with the recording and his life, and more questions than he knew what to do with. Like why the Hong Kong police showed up to save him that night. He’d been taken from his hotel room, and when he’d returned nothing had been amiss. So why were the police looking for him? It was something a rational person would have checked up on, but the chilling voice of his kidnapper had played over and over in his head.  He knew that if he wanted answers, he couldn’t find them on his own in China.

Not that he’d had any luck since he’d returned. It was no secret that computer sciences weren’t his forte, and the audio on the recording was terrible. It was like trying to listen to a song with one’s head submerged underwater. He needed help if he was ever going to make sense of the thing. But there wasn’t anyone he could trust with this.  And Tommy was still unsure if he wanted to pursue this course any further.  He’d nearly been killed last time.  Was discovering the truth worth the emotional-- and quite possibly physical-- pain he would have to go through to get it?

His phone buzzed, relieving him momentarily from the decision weighing heavy on his mind.  A text message from Thea about his party later on that night.  A party that she had given him a pouty face over not being invited to.  Damn if it wasn’t hard looking out for Ollie’s little sister sometimes.  She had a wild streak in her to rival her big brother and Tommy wished she wasn’t in such a hurry to be Ollie 2.0. There was something to be said about growing up too soon, and Thea was fast tracking that route like no other.

With a sigh, Tommy dropped the drive back in it’s bottle, which he sealed up and returned to it’s hiding place. Maybe he could do nothing for Oliver right now, but one thing he could do for his best friend was try and and keep Thea from turning into the delinquent teenagers they had been. Tommy typed up a reply text to her, reminding her again, that she was not invited to the party. He just hoped the younger Queen listened.

\---

Tommy’s party had been broken up by the cops.  And not in the good way.  If there was a good way?  But certainly dead guys falling from the second floor balcony was the worst possible way.  The whole thing happened so fast that Tommy thought maybe he was just imagining it.  It was probably just that Oliver had been on his mind a lot lately.  He couldn’t have actually seen Ollie at the party.

Needing to clear his head once everyone finally left of the mansion, Tommy took his Porsche downtown, a place where anonymity could be found in the cool air and mostly abandoned streets of the business district of Starling.  But walking past Queen Consolidated, Tommy was unable to find himself clear minded.  In fact, he was more confused than ever, wondering if there was any way Ollie had been there.  Even knowing it was crazy, it didn’t stop him from pulling a QC keycard from his wallet.  He hadn’t used it in two years, and to be honest he wasn’t sure it would work, but the light turned green and the door clicked open when Tommy pressed the card to the electronic lock pad.  He found himself smirking at the memory of the time he and Ollie convinced a couple of drunk and flirty college girls to come back with them for an impromptu ‘board meeting’.

There was a security guard at the front who nodded to him as Tommy moved through the lobby toward the elevators because even though he hadn’t been there after hours in years, Tommy still visited Moira semi-regularly.  He wasn’t even sure why he was doing this, why he was here.  But one insane thought in his mind was constant-- if he had actually seen Oliver at his party, would he possibly show up here too?

Tommy pressed the elevator button for the 40th floor where Moira’s office was. Oliver or not, Tommy needed to be somewhere quiet to sort out the events of the evening. It was a lot; everything these days felt so heavy, even Laurel showing back up.

Tommy had asked her out earlier that evening and the more he thought about it, the worse he felt about doing it.  After all, Ollie and Laurel had been through a lot together, and presumed dead or not, it still felt a bit like he was somehow violating the bro-code by moving in on her.

The elevator dinged, signaling the stop at a floor and he looked up, confused that he wasn’t anywhere close to the top of the building yet.

A blonde entered, seemingly distracted by the papers in her arms. She didn’t even look at him as she pushed the button for the top floor.

“‘Oh Miss Smoak you can stay late and finish those reports for Mrs. Queen can’t you?’,” the girl said her voice deep and mocking. “Sure Mr. Collins, it’s not like I’m young and have a life. I mean I’m only 20 what could I possibly have to do on a Friday night that doesn’t involve work.”

Tommy couldn’t help the smile that crept across his face. The girl clearly had no idea she wasn’t alone, so to avoid giving her a heart attack, he cleared his throat.

He had clearly misjudged that idea because not only did she jump while letting out a yelp, but the stack of papers in her arms went flying, cascading to the floor of the elevator.

“Please tell me that did not just happen?” she groaned, her face contorting into a pout. “I mean I spent the last two hours neatly organizing that pile. So just tell me I’m hallucinating.”

“I am so sorry.”  Tommy bent down trying to help gather the papers together. “I didn’t want to scare you.”

“Bang up job,” she muttered, taking the pages from his hands. She stopped when she looked at him, gulping. “You’re Tommy Merlyn.”

“Guilty,” he said with a smile.

“Great I just got angry and used my loud voice at my boss’ dead son’s best friend,” she shook her head groaning. “I’m sorry that was not how I meant it. However accurate it is. Sorry, again.”

“I should be the one who’s sorry.”  Tommy frowned, looking at the jumbled pile in her hands. “I really didn’t mean to startle you. I didn’t think anyone would be here this late.”

“What, were you planning a heist? Not that you look like you would break into a family friend’s company to steal things… or that you need the money. Though I mean that’s as good a cover for thievery as anything else. I don’t usually talk this much.”

“Something tells me that isn’t exactly true.” Tommy laughed, before sighing. “Truth be told, I just needed a place to be alone with some thoughts.”

“I can understand that, but,” she replied, leaning against the back wall and gesturing to the single light illuminated on the elevator wall. “Moira Queen’s office? I mean don’t you have like a whole mansion you could hide in?”

“You’d be surprised how little you can hide in a place like that,” he looked down, seeking her name on the badge around her neck. “Felicity Smoak?”

“Yep she is I, or well I’m her. That’s me,” she winced knocking her head into the paneled wall. “Please ignore me and go about your evening.”

“You’re actually improving it greatly,” he replied, leaning next to her. “So thank you.”

“For being a jumpy klutz? Or for not being able to tell my douche of a supervisor that I was not hired for my filing skills,” she joked, before her face fell. “Not that I should be bad mouthing my superiors to you or anyone who is close with the Queen family. I mean, I really love my job, I do.   I’m just cranky because I was suppose to go to a party with a friend of mine. I say friend, she’s a girl who lives in my building, not that we couldn’t be friends. She’s nice enough. But of course, new girl gets stuck late at the office. That way if anything happens they don’t have to blame someone with seniority.”

“Felicity,” Tommy cut her off with a grin. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone that you called your supervisor a douche.”

Felicity cleared her throat and he caught her eyeing the numbers going up on the elevator wall.  “So, do you come here often?” she said, and then wrinkled her nose.  “Wow that sounded like a line… I didn’t mean…”

“I haven’t been here in a while,” he interjected, trying to hide his smile.  The elevator dinged at the top floor and the doors slid open.  Tommy held out a hand, letting Felicity exit first.  They walked side by side down the hallway and toward Moira’s office.  “You should probably let me help you with those,” he said, gesturing to the papers in her arms.

Felicity shook her head furiously.  “No, I have this whole system and…”

Tommy rested a hand on her arm, causing her voice to trail off.  “It’s my fault you dropped them.  It’s only fair that you let me help you.”

“I thought you wanted to think?  By yourself?” She questioned meekly as they entered Moira’s office.

“I think some company might do me some good,” he answered.  And Tommy actually meant it.  He wasn’t sure why, since he’d come to this place seeking solace or hoping for some confirmation that Oliver was alive.  But now, he was grateful for Felicity being a friendly face.  Somehow her chatter didn’t hurt either.  In fact, it helped him get out of his mind a little.  It seemed to be exactly what he needed.

\---

Watching Starling City fade into the horizon was the worst part of the whole trip.  Although killing the guy at Tommy’s party hadn’t been high on the list either.  To be fair, the trip on the whole had been full of more pain than it was worth.  Seeing Tommy and Thea at his grave and knowing the pain they were in because of him, knowing that he could have fixed it all just by stepping out from his hiding place that day, it hurt and angered and frustrated him more than he'd expected.  But somehow, watching his city grow ever smaller as the plane took off and headed back to Hong Kong, Oliver had a sinking feeling in his gut that told him getting back there again was never going to happen.

If the last two years had taught him anything, it was that trusting someone, especially before he knew their motives, usually only ended one way. And Oliver couldn’t hope again. Every time he even let a small sliver of hope into his heart it was broken and twisted into something dark and cold. Trusting Shrieve was not going to happen as quickly as the General might like it to.  In fact, Oliver wasn’t sure it would happen at all.

He wasn’t the same person who’d left on that boat. Oliver Queen had died the day his father had. That bullet had had both of their names on it, damning their souls to the ocean below. He knew his father wanted him to survive, to claw his way back home, and right the wrongs he’d done to their city. But Oliver couldn’t guarantee that would happen. At least not if Amanda Waller had anything to say about it.

The flight back to Hong Kong felt longer than the trip out, partially because he knew what he was leaving behind and partially because he had no idea what he was heading back to.  He glanced over to Maseo and found the man’s eyes trained on him like he was trying to decipher Oliver’s mood. Anyone else in his position would be ecstatic at the prospect of finally getting out from under Waller’s control and returning from the dead to their friends and family, but he knew his face was probably set in a hard line, no emotion slipping past his mask.

“Are you alright?” Maseo asked in a hushed voice. No one had told them they couldn’t talk, but still Oliver’s shoulders tensed, ready for an attack.

“I’m fine,” he replied, watching General Shrieve out of the corner of his eye. Nothing felt like it was adding up and he’d spent enough time in hell to know that sometimes the devil you know is the only thing you can count on.  And Oliver didn’t know a damn thing about this guy.

He wondered if he was being paranoid; that maybe he was letting everything that happened to him since he’d left on the Gambit taint his perception of people.  But he couldn’t help it-- Fryers, Ivo, Waller, they’d all done terrible things in the name of what they believed in. They had all forced Oliver to do things in the name of what they each believed in. He was left wondering just what Shrieve would have him do; what scrap of Oliver Queen did he have to relinquish this time?

Maseo’s eyes were hard on him, but his friend didn’t say anything more.  Friend.  Oliver almost smiled at the thought.  It had been a long time since he’d been able to count on anyone enough to consider them a friend.  Not since Slade-- and he couldn’t bring himself to dwell on how that friendship ended.  Sooner or later something had to give, right?

Oliver leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and pushing out a long breath.  He hadn’t expected Thea to look so different.  She’d grown up so much over the last couple of years.  His stomach tightened at the thought of his baby sister buying drugs.  Even if his solution earlier that night hadn’t been the best long term, he felt slightly better about leaving Starling with one less drug dealer on the streets.

He must have drifted off at some point, because he woke with a start and on high alert to Maseo’s hand on his shoulder.  It wasn’t like Oliver to lose control of his faculties like that in public.  He’d learned better than that since his first night on Lian Yu.

Maseo gave him a small nod and Oliver realized the plane had landed.  They were escorted from the tarmac to awaiting humvees where Oliver assumed they’d be debriefed on their mission. The air stilled around them, and without reason, Oliver knew something bad was about to happen.

From the darkness, men came from around the caravan of vehicles, out numbering Shrieve’s men three to one. Stone faces, with machine guns trained forward. Trained on him, Maseo, and the General.

Amanda Waller appeared among them, stepping out from behind the larger of her agents. She kept her arms crossed, wearing the look of someone who could see at least six moves ahead in chess. He’d seen that look on her several times, but none of them chilled him more than it did right then.

“There’s no need for this Amanda,” Shrieve said, moving to address the group as a whole. “These men have done a service to your organization, but it’s time to cut your loses.”

“That’s why you are still heading a known branch of the US government, General,” Waller replied, her smile growing. “I don’t cut loose people who are still of use to me. I just find different ways to motivate them.”

Two of her men moved behind her, their grips tight on something. Oliver tensed, his gaze sliding to Maeso. Both asking the same unspoken question. What would Waller deem as ‘motivation’?

The men finally came into view, and Oliver’s heart nearly stopped. One had Akio by the arm, so tight the boy had tears in his eyes. Oliver could also just make out the hand gun pressed to Akio’s shoulder. Maseo moved immediately, but Oliver reached over, grounding the boy’s father in his spot. Rash moves wouldn’t help the kid; it would only start a blood bath.

After a long moment when the world around them seemed to slow, Oliver finally focused on the other man, whose arms were wrapped around a limp Tatsu.  No wonder Waller looked so smug.

“Tatsu,” Maseo cried out and Oliver hand to pull him back to his spot next to him.

“Don’t,” Oliver said harshly, thinking slightly more clearly than Maseo in that moment.  Waller wasn’t stupid enough to kill Maseo’s family, Oliver was sure of it.

“She’s not dead,” Waller stated. She moved closer to Akio, ruffling his hair. “What kind of person would murder a child’s mother right in front of him?”

“Let them go, Amanda,” Oliver seethed, locking eyes with Akio for the briefest of seconds. He hated to see so much pain in the eyes of someone so young. “You don’t need them. I’ll stay. Okay? Let Maseo take his family and go. And I swear I’ll do whatever you want.”

“This isn’t a negotiation Mr. Queen,” she stepped across the space; Shrieve’s men tailed her with their weapons, but if it phased her she didn’t let on. “This is me, getting what I want. Now the two of you are going to walk over there, slowly. Mr. Yamashiro you can tend to your wife, and Mr. Queen can stand with the boy.”

He had hated Amanda Waller several times over the last few months. Had come to loathe the very thought of her. But he’d never once wished he could take the things she’d been instilling in him, and turn around and use them on her. Not until that moment.

Oliver flicked his gaze back to Maseo-- the only person he’d consider saying he trusted-- and he could see it. He knew what his friend needed of him, but he wasn’t sure he could do it. But he chanced another look at Tatsu, just starting to stir, and Akio, who stood petrified around strangers. And he gave Maseo a faint nod.

They moved forward, their steps in sync as though they had been partners for decades, rather than just a few short months.  Once they passed Waller he could almost sense her grin at the both of them; but he blocked it out, he had to. Focus was the only thing he could rely on right then. And with every step he took, he zoned in on the men around Akio. The one with the gun had to go first. He was too close to the boy for Oliver’s liking.

Once Oliver stopped in front of Akio, he dropped to his knee. Looking him in the eye he whispered, “You okay?”

Akio’s lip trembled, but he nodded. “My mom, she’s… she’s…”

“You’re mom’s tough,” Oliver replied, trying to give him a reassuring smile. “And she’s gonna need you to be tough too. Alright?”

“Yeah.”

Oliver squeezed the boy’s shoulder when he stood, giving the guard a nod.

In a blink, Oliver pulled Akio behind him as he grabbed the man’s wrist, twisting until he heard the snaps and pops of his joints. He disarmed the guard quickly, using the gun to his advantage, shooting the closest three men in the chest.

Oliver wasn’t sure if Shrieve’s men had been stunned into inaction or were waiting for a command, but in an instant all of their weapons were drawn and bullets began raining down around them.  Oliver had just enough time to pull Akio under the closet truck before the spray of bullets reached them.

Looking across the space, Oliver found Maseo and Tatsu joining in the fight against Waller’s men.  But they were losing fast and soon Amanda would realize he and Akio were no longer in the middle of things. Oliver was left with only one choice.

“Akio,” he looked over at the boy. His eyes squeezed closed, crunching his small face. “Hey we gotta go. Now.”

“What about my parents?” he asked, sounding like tears would fall. Their eyes found each other and Oliver forced himself not to react emotionally.  It was the only way they were going to get out alive.

“Right now I need to keep you safe,” he said taking a deep breath, and pointing to the grove a trees on their right. “We get there, and away from all this, then I can get you back to your parents.”

“Promise?”

He couldn’t. There was no way he could make such a commitment right now. All he could do was take Akio and keep him from Waller. “I promise I’ll keep you safe. Now run.”

And he did. Then Oliver did too. They ran until they could no longer hear the ring of bullets. And then they ran some more.

\---

It was wrong to be staring, wasn’t it?  Because this was Tommy Merlyn, heir to the Merlyn Global empire, not to mention billionaire playboy and complete and utter babe.  But it had to be wrong to be staring at him as they sat across from each other at the coffee table in Moira Queen’s office.  Felicity had been in that same office just a few hours ago, collecting the papers they were now sorting for the second time.  It was pretty much the last place she had expected to be that late, and the last person she’d expected to be with, and the last thing she’d expected to be doing.  But there they sat.

“Are you really only twenty?” Tommy asked, pulling her attention up from the expense reports she had nearly sorted by department and month.

Her brow furrowed and she tried to remember telling him how old she was.  “What?” she asked, feeling a bit of a blush creep into her cheeks.

“It’s just that in the elevator-- you said you were twenty and this is kind of a big company for someone so young and pretty and I was just surprised.”

Yep, now she was definitely blushing.  Hard.  Because had Tommy Merlyn just called her pretty?  She looked up at him through her lashes, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.  “Yeah, I graduated MIT last year and Starling was the only place I wanted to be.  It was either work here or… well… your father’s company.  I interviewed for both, but QC got back to me first with an offer.  It’s an amazing start for a career in the IT field.”

Now it was Tommy’s brow that furrowed, his eyebrows knitting together.  “You graduated MIT at 19?”

Felicity nodded, her eyes downcast at the paperwork.

“And they have you sorting paperwork at eleven o’clock at night on a Friday?”  His voice was curious, but there was a hint of something else there too.

She shrugged.  “The head of the IT department is a bit of a misogynist.  I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m an intern.”

“Do you want me to talk to--”

“No,” Felicity interjected quickly.  “I’m not looking for any handouts.”  She darted her eyes up to look at Tommy, finding him leaning slightly towards her, an amused expression on his face.

After a long moment of silence between them, Tommy smiled brightly enough that his eyes crinkled at the corners.  “You are certainly not what I expected to find here tonight.”

She scrunched up her nose, giving him a quizzical look. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Better than I expected,” he replied as he leaned back again. His eyes seemed to focus on something behind her as he let out a sigh. “Well it’s official now.”

“What is?” she looked around, only eyeing the clock on Mrs. Queen’s desk. Wow, it really was after 11.  How had she let herself get talked into working again?

“February 18th, 11:28 pm,” He replied, ticking off the facts, before meeting her eyes. “I’m officially one year older.”

“Tell me I did not just make you spend your birthday filing stuff for a company that doesn’t even have your name on the side of the building,” she groaned, rubbing circles into her temples. “Sorry again.”

“Felicity,” he said. “I promise you, this is a lot better than what I was planning on doing.”

“Which was?” she shook her head with a laugh. “Sorry you really don’t have to answer that, at all.”

He laughed again, which was bad. Felicity had to keep reminding herself this was Tommy Merlyn she was talking to.  He wasn’t an anonymous face that she would forget about a few days later. In fact, this was probably heading to the top of her ten best nights list. And wow, did she really need to get out more.

“Have you ever gotten so used to having someone in your life... you’re so dependent on them always being there, that when they’re gone, it’s hard to really let go?”

She nodded, because boy could she relate. Her heart still ached when she thought of Cooper. She’d still grab her phone in a haze of excitement over some new gadget or coding breakthrough, only to remember that he wouldn’t pick up the other end of the line. That he couldn’t do anything anymore. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’ve heard that a million times, and it’s cliched and always sounds so hollow. I bet it’s not easy, losing your best friend.”

“Sometimes, I let myself believe he’s still around,” Tommy said, his eyes unfocused, like he was thinking about another place entirely. But he shook himself out of it, focusing back on her with a smile. “That probably sounds stupid.”

“No it doesn’t.” She understood. She’d pretend Cooper was still around too, that she would go home to her apartment, and he would be there waiting for her with a smile. And the reality would crash around her and her empty home.

Tommy cleared his throat, sitting up. “Sorry to bring the room down like that. I’m usually rather fun.”

“I bet you say that to all your girls.” Felicity stopped a blush crawling up her cheeks. “Not that I’m one of your girls, or would ever be. Sorry, I have this defective filter thing. And it apparently only gets worse the later at night it is.”

He just looked further amused by her. “So are we done here? With the papers I mean.”

She looked at the stacks, everything finally back the way it had been. “I think so. Granted, if something’s wrong I’m sure I’ll be the first to hear about it. Well, after Mrs. Queen yells at my boss.”

“Ah come on, Moira’s all bark and, okay yeah she’s got some bite too,” he joked, as he stood. He seemed to be waiting for something but what Felicity wasn’t sure.  “You have like a bag or something you need to get?”

“Sorry what is happening right now?”

“Well seeing as how my mother would never forgive me if I let a young lady walk to her car this late at night without an escort,” Tommy shrugged. “I am walking you to the parking garage.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” she stood quickly, almost bashing her head into his chin, but his arms were there, steadying her. “Really, Tommy, the guards are good here. Carlos and Jesse know me by name.”

“I’m still walking you to your car,” he said with an intensity in his words that sparked a fragment of a memory. She recalled the story of what happened to Rebecca Merlyn- a mugging gone horribly wrong.

With a compassionate smile, she relented. “Thank you.”

He motioned for her to proceed and she couldn’t help but laugh. When she’d reluctantly agreed to work late, never in a million years would she have foreseen the evening playing out like this. Her mother would have a cow if Felicity told her she’d spent the evening with a billionaire and paperwork… On second thought maybe she didn’t need to tell her mom about this particular work related story.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much. The response to this story is epic. We couldn't ask for better, more engaged readers. So without further ado, here's chapter two. 
> 
> P.S. We love hearing from each and everyone one of you. So comment, kudos, subscribe, and bookmark to your hearts content.

They shouldn’t be out in the open, Oliver knew that cover was their only sure bet right now. But watching Akio enjoy his way through a three scoop sundae was almost enough to make it worth it. The kid didn’t deserve this. Neither did Maseo or Tatsu. The three of them deserved to be happy, in their home, far away from Amanda Waller’s reach.

He knew this would happen, of course. Waller was like a wounded predator, lashing out because she’d lost assets that she had claimed as her own. And because of that the Yamashiro’s were torn apart and he was tasked with keeping the kid safe, not that he minded the company. Akio was a good kid, smart and funny. All the things that reminded him of Thea when she was younger. But Oliver knew from experience that Akio was scared and homesick.

“When are we going home?” Akio asked setting his spoon down as he rested his chin on his fists. “It’s been a week.”

“I know buddy,” Oliver sighed, giving him a reassuring smile. Or as close to reassuring as he could muster. “But we talked about this.”

“The bad guys are after us,” Akio said, looking down. “But why?”

Oliver opened his mouth to reply, but he didn’t think it was wise to keep talking about this where they were. “Hey, why don’t we play that game again?  The one I taught you yesterday.”

Akio shrugged, but sat up, his eyes darting around the restaurant. “There’s two families in the room.”

“And how do we know they’re families?” Oliver questioned, taking a sip of his coffee.

“The three in the corner have a baby, she was fussy when we came in.” He pointed at the table across from them. “The couple over there are all mushy like my mom and dad.   Their kid, who just came back from the bathroom, rolled his eyes at them.”

“Very good,” Oliver said. He was proud Akio was picking up the exercises so well, even if he wished he didn’t have to expose the boy to any of this training.

“Oliver,” Akio voice hushed, as he met Oliver’s eyes.

“Yeah bud?”

“When someone’s trying hard to blend in, so they aren’t seen by their target, they take the seat in the furthest corner, right?”

Oliver winced at the word ‘target’. He didn’t want Akio to see the world like he did, with threats around every corner. But he also let the words sink in, as he glanced over his shoulder. The guy that Akio had seen certainly held himself like a ARGUS agent, tension sitting in his shoulders.

Swallowing hard, Oliver’s eyes slid back to Akio.  “When I say so, I want you to spill your ice cream on your shirt and go get some napkins, okay?” Oliver said quietly.

Akio’s face turned down in a frown but he nodded, seemingly getting the gravity of the situation.  The pair had done enough running in the last week that Akio had grown used to taking Oliver’s commands without questioning them.

“Okay,” Oliver whispered.  “Go now.”

Akio did as instructed, dropping a spoonful of ice cream onto his shirt before rushing toward the napkins.  The agent’s focus followed Akio, giving Oliver a split second to disappear, moving toward the man.  He was smaller than Oliver expected, a good few inches shorter than himself, making it easy to cover his mouth with one hand and wrap his arm around his neck with the other, dragging him into the back hallway.  Once they were out of sight of the other patrons, Oliver twisted, snapping the agent’s neck; the sick popping sound followed by bone crunching reverberating in Oliver’s head.  The man’s body fell to the floor with a thud and Oliver stepped back out into the main dining area.  Another name he wouldn’t know, another ghost to haunt him at night.

Only a few seconds had passed and Akio was still wiping the melted ice cream from his shirt, eyes frantically searching for Oliver.  The boy relaxed as soon as their eyes met and Oliver gave him a reassuring smile.

Oliver crossed the space between them and ruffled Akio’s hair.

“Did I do good, Oliver?” the boy asked.

“You did great,” Oliver answered, guiding Akio by the shoulder toward the exit before anyone found the ARGUS agent in the back hallway.  “But we have to go now.”

He wasn’t sure where they were going to go.  They had been moving around for a week. Staying in shelters or abandoned buildings. Just waiting to see if Maseo and Tatsu caught up with them. But there had been no word. Oliver could only evade ARGUS for so long in Hong Kong, and he was beginning to think that time was quickly coming to an end.  Running away with Akio wasn’t his brightest idea, but it was the only thing he could think to do in order to keep them both alive.

They wandered through the busy streets of Hong Kong for the next few hours while Oliver tried to formulate a plan-- some way of getting word to Tatsu and Maseo about where they were going-- but where were they going?

Oliver scrubbed a hand down his face as they walked the streets.  Getting out of the city would be difficult. It’s not like they had a private jet and secluded airstrips bought with secret government money. Those required connections.

Oliver didn’t have connections.

He and Akio turned into a small shop where Oliver could make sure they weren’t being followed.  For now it seemed they were in the clear, but ARGUS had caught up with them how many times before?

“Listen buddy,” Oliver said, crouching down until he was eye level with Akio.  “Remember how you told me your mom was talking about you guys moving out of the city?”

“Before the bad men came?” Akio offered.

Oliver smiled and nodded.  “Right, before the bad men came.”

“She said we could take a boat,” the boy said with a wide grin. “And then the three of us would go back to Tokyo to live.”

Oliver blew out a breath. How was he going to tell this kid he had no idea how long it would be before he saw his parents again?  After everything that Oliver had been through-- never having a choice in being ripped from his family-- how could he condemn Akio to that same fate?

“What’s wrong Oliver?"

Akio was perceptive, Oliver had to give him that.  “I think we have to get out of the city for a while, Akio.  There are a lot of bad men looking for us and for your parents right now.  And we can’t hide from them here anymore.”

“Are my parents coming with us?” The boy’s eyes were hopeful, breaking whatever was left of Oliver’s heart.

“I think we have to leave for a little while, just you and me,” Oliver said, feeling like the biggest dick in the world for what he was doing to Akio.  He just had to keep reminding himself that it was all he could do to keep the two of them safe and alive.  Taking Akio out of Hong Kong and away from his parents was better than them ending up injured or in ARGUS’s hands again…. or worse.

“Like a vacation?  Like on your family’s jet?”

Oliver laughed a little at that, straightening up again and resting his hand on Akio’s shoulder.  “Like a vacation, yeah,” he repeated.

Akio shrugged.  “Sounds fun.  As long as my parents don’t worry about me.”

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to know that you’re safe,” he smiled looking around. He spotted the agents first, ducking down to Akio’s level again to stay out of view.  The agents were too close-- only a few yards away.

“More bad men?” Akio questioned, looking behind them.

He nodded, not wanting to draw more attention to their position. They had to do something to distract the pair on their tail, but Oliver was running out of options that didn’t involve violence.

Akio’s eyes focused on something, a small smile spreading across his face. He stepped back a few paces, and Oliver finally saw what his little friend was doing. Akio stopped right next to a fruit cart, and with a stumble to the side, the thing toppled over knocking into the next three carts, sending a flood of produce and people into the two agents.

Oliver smiled, grabbing Akio’s hand and dashing from their hiding spot. “That was brilliant.”

“Big distractions cause better chaos,” Akio parroted from one of Oliver’s talks earlier in the week.   The two disappeared into the crowd, and even though Oliver didn’t glance back, he was sure that they’d lost the agents.

They rounded the corner and Oliver stopped short, letting out a sigh.  “Looks like we need to head to the water, before our not so friendly shadows catch up.”

Akio’s smile almost made up for all the crap they were going through.

Oliver just had to get them off the streets of Hong Kong-- had to get them one step further from Waller.  He was finally embracing the gnawing pit in his stomach that told him this was the only way.  

“Come on, before they follow us,” Oliver said, finding a large vessel with a ramp leading to its cargo hold.  The few men close by seemed otherwise occupied and Oliver and Akio slipped up the ramp and into the ship before they could be seen.  It might not have been Oliver’s finest plan, but he hoped it would at least get them out far enough away from Hong Kong to free themselves from Waller.

\---

It had been a week and a half since the night that Tommy Merlyn had walked into her life in a weird whirlwind of an evening.  Not that Felicity had been counting days or anything.  She hadn’t seen Tommy since that night either-- not that she had expected to.

Things went on much in the same way they always had-- she went to work, came home with takeout and a pint of mint chip and binge-watched whatever was up in her Netflix queue (which was currently her second rewatch of the Doctor Who reboot), and then repeated the whole process again the next day.  Mostly everything was the same anyway, with the exception of the weird looks her boss kept giving her.  Her boss who had been strangely nice to her these last several days.  Felicity couldn’t help feel a smile creep across her face at the thought that Tommy might have said something to someone about the man.  Even though that was crazy to imagine, wasn’t it?

Felicity would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about Tommy since then.  He had been so  different than she’d expected, considering all the gossip surrounding the playboy billionaire.  The tabloids certainly had much to say about Tommy Merlyn-- he was handsome, rich and always up to show a girl a good time.  The problem seemed to arise from the fact that it was always a new girl to whom he was showing said good time.  A serial dater, it seemed that the biggest tabloid in town seemed to plaster photos of Tommy constantly with the newest girl and the line ‘it’s just dinner’.  It was like Tommy Merlyn’s own version of a flavor of the week.

But that wasn’t the Tommy that Felicity had met.  Whether it was just an off day for him, or if something was truly different about his playboy ways, Felicity wasn’t sure.  But something made her curious to find out.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Felicity turned her attention back to her computer and the task at hand.  Her manager had put Felicity in charge of cataloging and creating a database of employee access codes.  It was bound to be a lot of work, filtering everything through the servers QC was currently working off of, and even though it might prove more than even she could handle, Felicity found herself excited to push herself.

In fact, she was more than up for it.  She was thrilled to be given more responsibility at work, even if the twinge in the back of her mind told her that Tommy may have had something to do with it.  Still, Felicity could put databases together in her sleep- no matter how she got the task, she was going to prove her worth with it.

A knock sounded on the side of her cubicle and she pulled her eyes away from the screen to find Tommy Merlyn standing before her.

“Hi Felicity,” he said with a bright smile that was bordering on flirtatious.  Flirting looked good on him; it was a fact which could not be denied.

“T-Tommy,” she said, slightly taken aback by having him standing in front of her.  “What are you doing here?”  Her normally speak-before-thinking-mouth was very nearly speechless.

“I was in the neighborhood and just thought I’d check and see if you had any reports you needed disheveled,” he answered with a grin.

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him.  This wasn’t real.  Clearly her brain was playing some sort of trick on her, because there was no possible way that Tommy Merlyn, heir to the Merlyn Global empire had sought her out to flirt.  Maybe someone had set her up for a cruel joke?  Although Tommy didn’t really seem like the type to be in on something like that.

“In the neighborhood?” she repeated finally, her eyes locked on his.

He nodded.  “My father’s company is right across the street.  You can probably see into his,” he turned toward the nonexistent window before spinning back around.  “Nevermind.”

“Be that as it may,” Felicity said, clasping her hands together on the desk and resisting the urge to push her glasses further up on her nose like she had a tendency to do when she was nervous.  “The IT department of Queen Consolidated doesn’t really call for a special trip, does it?  I mean, if you have something you want me to fix or some porn site you want me to unblock… not that I think you watch porn… I mean, whatever, your life is your business, and I’m going to stop talking now in 3...2...1.”

Where other men might have contained their amusement, Tommy’s full blown smile at her tangent made her go pink-- well more pink than she already was at mentioning porn to someone as completely good looking and completely unattainable as he was.  She looked away, chewing on her bottom lip and chastising herself for her constant lack of filter.

“I am not here about porn,” he said plainly.

“Oh good,” Felicity said, clearing her throat and darting a glance back in his direction.  “What can I do for you?”

Tommy paused, poised to speak, and hesitated.  “Do a lot of people come to you with personal stuff?  Computers dying and needing hard drives replaced, that kind of thing?”

“Sometimes,” she shrugged, looking at him expectantly.  When he still didn’t speak, she added, “Lay it on me, Merlyn.  What do you need?”

After another moment of inner debate, Tommy finally spoke.  “Lunch,” he said, seeming to have surprised even himself.  “I need you to come to lunch with me.”

“What?” She was beyond baffled.  Sure, they’d had an ease of conversation when they’d met, but that didn’t mean she’d ever expected to see or speak to him again-- let alone go out with him somewhere.

Tommy huffed, back-peddling.  “I’d hate to be one of those assholes who just comes to you for favors.  So, I’d like to take you to lunch.”  He cleared his throat, eyes downcast.  

Felicity couldn’t help but be intrigued.  Damn her and her curiosity; it had gotten her in trouble far more than she’d care to admit.

“Besides, what I want to talk to you about is kind of sensitive.”  His voice got quiet and somber and Felicity’s intrigue skyrocketed.  She never thought she had been one to stereotype people, but it seemed that not knowing anything more about Tommy than just what she’d read in headlines had given her a completely false impression of him.

Their eyes met and Felicity leaned forward across the desk toward him.  “As long as it’s not porn,” she said with a grin.

A smile spread across his face again, lightening the mood between them instantly.  “No,” he said, shaking his head and giving Felicity a wink.  “I promise you that.”

\---

Tommy wasn’t used to being nervous. He usually could figure out the right thing to say in any situation. But now, with Felicity sitting across from him in a little diner, he was at a loss for how to proceed. Because she could turn him down, she could call him crazy. Hell, he still felt crazy. But his gut told him if anyone could help decipher things, it would be her.

“Tommy,” Felicity’s voice broke through his train of thought. “As much as I enjoy a good burger with decent company, I don’t think you asked me here so I could watch you stare at your milkshake.”

He smiled, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m just not sure how to begin.”

“Well from experience it helps to open your mouth. I mean to talk, not to do anything else that’s not talking.” She threw a hand over her face with a groan. “Sorry, please continue.”

He leaned his forearms on the table, dropping his voice a little. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Like Casper or more like a poltergeist thing? Because both still sound sufficiently terrifying, if you ask me.”

“No, I mean,” he shook his head, reaching into his pocket to pull out the usb drive.  It was the first time it had left his room since he’d returned from Hong Kong. And holding it now sent a flicker of panic through him. “A few months ago I was in China, looking for someone, but instead of finding them, I got attacked, kidnapped, and then rescued. But none of those things add up. I’ve tried to reason it a thousand different ways since then, but nothing from the time I stepped off the plane in Hong Kong has added up.”

“I’m not exactly following here,” she said, her eyes seemed trained on the drive in his hand, but she didn’t ask. “Who’s the ghost?”

He’d been trying to hold it together, but he’d been thinking a lot about Oliver recently and he knew the pain must show on his face. “My friend Oliver.”

“Oh.” As if on instinct, her hand reached out covering his with a gentle squeeze. “Tommy I’m--”

“Please it’s not--” he paused, regaining his composure. “I’m okay. It’s just that for the longest time after... I wasn’t convinced he was dead, like I needed proof.  Everyone in Ollie’s life acts like they’ve accepted it and moved on.  But I can see how much it hurts them.  How broken they are since he’s been gone.”

“You sound like you don’t actually believe he’s dead.”

Tommy sighed, raising his eyes to meet hers.  “I don’t know what I think,” he said, finally taking a sip of his milkshake, the cool liquid nearly causing a shiver to go down his spine. Or maybe it was actually putting his feelings about Oliver into words.  “I just have to know, one way or another.  For sure.  No more flowers beside an empty grave.  No more wondering if he could walk through the door someday.  The not knowing…. it’s killing me.”

“I don’t know how I can help with any of this.”

And he knew in that moment he’d made the right choice. Because she wasn’t looking at him like he was crazy or like he needed pity. She was giving him the kind of look that told him, if she could help she would.

He took the flash drive and dropped it in her hand, before crossing his arms on the table. “That is a recording I managed to make during my kidnapping extravaganza. I tried to clean up the audio on my own, but me and computers get along about as well as you’d expect.”

“You audio recorded your kidnapping?” she raised a brow with a smirk. “That’s kind of amazingly insane…. insanely amazing?  One or the other.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Tommy replied. “Anyway, I don’t know who’s on there. But I do know two things. The first is whoever it is, they really didn’t want me in China. Maybe I was getting close to something, close to Ollie. I don’t know.”

“And the second thing?” Felicity asked. “I mean you said there were two things, right?”

He nodded, an easy smile on his face. “I can’t trust just anyone else with this. Felicity you’re the only one I’ve told and I kind of need it to say that way.”

She looked at the drive for a long time, flipping it over and over in her palm before looking back up at him. “Why me though? I mean, the kinda trust this takes. I just don’t get why you trust me, someone who’s practically a stranger, with your Schrodinger bff.”

“I thought Schrodinger was a cat?”

“No he was a physicist, the cat was a theory and--” she stopped with a deep sigh. “That’s not important. What’s important is you trusting me with this very sensitive project.”

“Well I looked you up,” he said trying to not make eye contact. “Or I guess technically just googled you. I mean graduating Summa Cum Laude from MIT at 19 is a very impressive thing. And then the searches linked to articles about your former boyfriend, and his arrest. I just got the impression that maybe you had a helping hand in his activities.”

She dropped the usb to the table, crossing her arms. “So you’re blackmailing me?”

“What? No, no,” Tommy paused trying to gain his footing again. “This isn’t... I wouldn’t do that. I just meant that you seem like someone who know’s what they're doing. And that maybe, given your history, you’d want to help. Plus you’re really the only computer genius I know.”

Felicity smiled again, seemingly won over.  By what, maybe he’d never know, but he was eternally grateful for whatever convinced her to help him.  She picked the drive back up, before she met his gaze. “I can’t promise anything. I might not be able to clean this up, and even if I do, Oliver might not... I just don’t think you should get your hopes up.”

“Hope’s all I got right now,” he replied, before clearing his throat. “Thank you.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“No, you really have.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read and left comments so far! We are so grateful for the love and support. Hopefully you continue to enjoy this crazy ride! :)

Of all of the boats Oliver had been on in his lifetime, nothing had prepared him for being in the hull of an ocean-freighter in choppy water with a kid. A kid, who Oliver quickly learned, got seasick.

This problem seemed to surface at the most inopportune times, and Oliver was finding fewer and fewer ways of hiding himself and Akio from the guards who made their rounds through the cargo hold. It didn’t help that being in the bottom of the ship meant that they felt the waves crashing into the side of the ship more so than if they’d been higher up in the vessel. But Oliver was making the best out of a truly terrible situation; it seemed to be his lot in life lately.

“This is the worst vacation ever,” Akio groaned. The boy was seated in netting that Oliver had fashioned into a hammock and Oliver couldn’t help but feel bad for him. With a sigh, Oliver had to admit to himself that this was not his worst vacation ever. Going out on the Queen’s Gambit took the cake on that one. But this was rapidly becoming a close second.

“I know buddy,” Oliver said back, offering Akio some water from a pallet he’d found on the other side of the cargo hold a couple of days ago. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been out in the ocean. It was a few days at least, but without windows in the hull of the ship, it was impossible to know for sure. And Oliver still wasn’t sure where they were headed, but the guards were speaking in a Slavic language that he assumed was Russian, so Russia was his best guess. “I promise you’ll never have to take another boat ride after this if you don’t want to.”

Akio nodded. “Now I know why you hate boats,” he said, taking a sip from the water bottle and leaning back into the hammock.

Oliver smiled, because now was really not the time to regale Akio with his own boat woes. “Okay so we’ve got water, some bread and if we’re lucky, hopefully I can find the fruit stash after the guards make their next rounds. I’m sorry I can’t do more.”

Akio shrugged his hands fiddling with the bottle. “It’s okay. I’m not that hungry anyway.”

Oliver knew it was a lie; he’d lived with the Yamashiro's long enough to pick up all of Akio’s eating habits. The kid liked his food, and it just washed another wave of guilt over Oliver. What had he done? Taking the kid away from his home? His parents? How was he going to keep Akio safe with no money and no contacts? Everyone who knew who he was either thought he was dead or was in Amanda Waller’s crosshairs. And the last thing he was going to do was bring his loved ones into his mess too. No, he had to shake ARGUS and Waller, get Akio safely home, and then he’d worry about his own family. 

He should have been paying more attention. If he had he would have heard the footsteps long before they reached the end of the corridor, it would have given him enough time to at least hide Akio. But Oliver was exhausted and weak from hunger. So, when the guards rounded the corner, eyes locking on him and Akio, Oliver didn’t have many choices. 

It wasn’t like the agents ARGUS sent after them. He couldn’t snap their necks and hope no one found the bodies for a while. There were only so many places someone could go on a cargo ship, and guards were sure to be accounted for at all times. The guards barrelled down on them, guns drawn and Oliver swiftly raised his hands in surrender. Akio latched onto his side, his hand like a vice grip on Oliver’s belt. Oliver could feel the boy shake beside him, his fear forcing Oliver to focus.

“Look, we don’t want any trouble,” he said, even though he was pretty sure no one on this ship spoke a word of English. “We just needed passage.”

The pair converged on them, yanking Akio from Oliver’s side. As they spoke Oliver only felt more confirmed in his Russian assumption, wishing deeply that he’d taken Raisa up on her offer to teach him the language when he was younger. He could hear her clearly in his head. “You never know when you might need it Mr. Oliver.” Like when you get caught stowing away on a Russian ship. Though he doubted that was the type of situation she’d been referring to.

He had to do something quick, because the guy who was holding Akio looked like he was a fan of killing just for the hell of it. And he hadn’t come this far to lose Akio to a Russian guard dog. 

That’s when he saw the tattoo, just briefly visible as the man’s shirt shifted over his chest. It looked like one he’d seen before, back in his own personal version of hell. He could be wrong, of course he could be wrong. But he was out of real options at the moment.

“Podozhdite! (wait),” he said summoning one of the three Russian words he actually knew. Both men turned their murderous looks to him. Which was fine as long as the left Akio alone. But now they were expecting more from Oliver, and that meant using the only name he had in his arsenal. “Anatoly Knyanzev.”

The guard’s froze, trading conversation that went over Oliver’s skill level, and for a second he was sure he’d screwed things up by using Anatoly’s name. Until the men finished and looked at him.

“You come with us,” the tall one gruffed, letting Akio go. Oliver reached for the boys hand, holding him close. Oliver nodded, before the man spoke again. “This does not save you. If boss says so, you die by morning.”

Akio sniffled next to him causing Oliver to go rigid. He much preferred the Russian to English. His only hope now was that mere mention of the man he’d once known would give him time to make a plan. Perhaps it wasn’t much time, maybe not even enough time, but it was more than he had two minutes ago.

“It will be okay, Akio,” Oliver whispered, giving the boy’s hand a quick squeeze.

“No talking,” the guard who’d spoken before said, looking over his shoulder.

Akio leaned into Oliver’s side a little more as they walked. It was a mess, a complete and utter shit show to think he could take care of another human being. Hell, for the last two plus years he’d barely been able to take care of himself. A thought trickled through Oliver’s stream of consciousness somewhere between possible escape routes and the easiest way to kill both men in front of them and get rid of the bodies before anyone noticed. He’d heard somewhere that children could sense fear. And right now Akio needed Oliver to be strong, so despite the fact that they were most likely staring down the barrel of the gun that would keep them from seeing the light of another day, Oliver forced himself to remain calm.

They were escorted out of the cargo hold and up more flights of stairs than Oliver could count in his hungry and weakened state. Akio was dragging beside him from the same exhaustion until finally they reached the bridge. The two men shoved Oliver and Akio before someone who must be the captain and Oliver was pushed to his knees.

The men who discovered them spoke in harsh whispers to the captain until finally the man turned to face them.

“What do you know of Anatoly Knyanzev?” the captain asked, his accent thick and nearly unable to understand.

Oliver swallowed hard, trying to decide how to best respond. Anatoly had never told him much about the Bratva and depending on how the man had left Russia, it was possible that mentioning his name would do Oliver and Akio more harm than good. But he’d already chosen his course of action-- there was no point in lying now.

“Oliver,” Akio whispered, tugging on Oliver’s shirt and pulling his focus away from the captain. “The radios.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed when static filled voices in Mandarin began cluttering the airwaves. They were speaking much too fast for Oliver to make out much, but from the panic filling Akio’s face, something was very wrong.

More wrong than them being stowaways on a ship belonging to the Russian mob? Oliver groaned inwardly. One of the guards pulled a semi-automatic gun from a holster and pointed it in the direction of Oliver and Akio. Oliver felt himself tense reflexively, like a coiled spring ready to jump into action. 

“Something is wrong,” Oliver said, his hands raised in surrender as he met the eyes of the captain. “The radio, do you know what they’re saying?”

“Interference,” the captain said dismissively. “Is broken. All day the interference.”

“They’re planning to take something,” Akio whispered, his eyes and face growing more animated as he listened. “Setting it up… like pirates!” Akio exclaimed, making everyone look at him.

“What’s he talking about?” the captain asked as the man with the gun pressed it closer to Akio. 

It would only take him a few seconds to disarm the three men, but he knew if he did more would come, and he wasn’t sure he could take on the entire crew. Oliver leveled his gaze at the gun wielder, a growl itching the back of this throat. “Mind lowering that thing? He’s scared enough without you.”

“Ivan,” the captain said, his eyes focusing on the guard. “They are no threat to us right now.”

Ivan begrudgingly lowered the weapon, clearly annoyed that he couldn’t use the thing. Now the captain smiled at them, and on another it might have looked friendly, but Oliver had seen that smile before. The smile of someone who held your life in their hands and wouldn’t hesitate to extinguish it. 

“Now,” he said, crouching until he was in front of Akio. Oliver reached out, placing his hand on Akio’s arm. He hadn’t brought the kid this far to let him get hurt now. The captain shifted his gaze to Oliver. “Do not worry, I will not harm your young friend.”

“Excuse me if I don’t take your word for it,” Oliver replied, but he also focused back on Akio. The boy seemed taken in by the exchange over the radio, a thrilling saga must be unfolding. He shook Akio’s arm until the boy turned to face him. “What’s going on?”

“They keep repeating the same thing over and over,” Akio replied with a shrug. “Something about losing the cargo, and how they can’t let the Russians dock with it.”

The gun was back up before Akio finished his sentence, but Oliver wouldn’t have anymore of their threats. “Point that thing at the kid one more time and see what happens to your arm.”

Ivan seemed to find Oliver’s threat amusing, which was perfect. It was better when the target underestimated the situation. He just had to reach over and shift the man’s arm up first. No need for a misfire.

“They took a girl!” Akio screeched, pulling Oliver from his planning. “They just said that you guys would surrender because they have the girl.”

\---

Felicity had spent every waking moment of the last week working on cleaning up the audio on the file that Tommy had given to her, updating him via text the whole time. Maybe sometimes they talked movies or restaurants, but mostly it was about the recording. And when she wasn’t working on that she was working on the database for QC. It wasn’t that either task was particularly difficult, more so that they were both time consuming. The database required manual entry of a lot of information and the file from Tommy sounded like it had gone through a war. It made the contents of the audio file that much more chilling to think about once she’d cleaned it up enough to make out what the voices were saying.

Felicity didn’t have to wonder why the media didn’t know about Tommy Merlyn’s kidnapping. She wouldn’t have wanted anyone to know if she’d been found in a similar situation.

Listening to the man who held Tommy captive, Felicity couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine every single time it played. The voice was so cold, but there was something else to it, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Something that made her wonder if Tommy’s instincts hadn’t been right all along.

Perhaps whoever was trying so hard to convince Tommy that Oliver was dead, was actually their best lead to finding out if it was really true.

Grabbing her tablet and swiveling out of her desk chair, Felicity made her way to the bank of elevators in the center of the building. She needed the final list of names and employee numbers to finish her database and despite three emails and two phone calls to HR, they still hadn’t sent down the list.

Now it was time to take matters into her own hands.

Pressing the button for the 15th floor, Felicity pulled up the audio again on her tablet. She had nearly gotten it to where the background noise was cleaned out but the voices were still a little garbled; somehow no amount of fiddling with it seemed to work. Audio restorations weren’t anywhere near her specialty and Felicity was on the verge of making some calls to some old MIT contacts to see if anyone could offer her some tips. 

The elevator dinged and stopped at the floor for HR and Felicity paused the recording, stepping out into the hallway. It didn’t take her long to track down the paperwork she needed, which made her all the more cranky, muttering that she didn’t go to MIT to fetch paperwork from lazy middle management.

It was good that no one was around to hear her. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Felicity shot a quick text message to Tommy, letting him know that she had the audio cleaned up in case he wanted to have a listen sometime in the next few days.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she grinned widely when she saw an incoming call from Tommy.

“Hey there,” she said, as she stepped onto the elevator and pressed the floor for the IT Department. “So I guess you got my text message? Not that you couldn’t be calling about something else, I suppose it’s possible. Starting over.” Felicity paused and cleared her throat. “Hi Tommy, how are you?”

There was a laugh on the other end. “Felicity,” he said, sounding amused. “You aren’t at your desk.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes. “You’re either a mind reader or…”

“Or I’m standing at your desk and you aren’t here?” Tommy asked.

“You could still be a mind reader,” Felicity said, enjoying the easy banter they seemed to have. “I mean, you could have known I was going to text you about the audio.”

“Is that mind reading or seeing the future?” he questioned. “Because I sense a distinct difference between the two.”

“You may have a point,” she laughed, watching the floors click by. “Wait, if you weren’t calling about the recording, why are you at my desk?”

“I assumed you would be too busy with your database to go and get lunch,” he replied. She rounded the corner to her cubicle and he smiled at her. “So I brought lunch to you.”

“You really didn’t have to do that.” Felicity dropped her stuff to the desk, taking a deep breath. “Is that sushi from the new place on 3rd?”

“Of course it is,” he handed her the bag with a smirk. “What kind of animal would bring you subpar sushi?”

“So is this a perk of being Tommy Merlyn’s friend? I mean not that we’re friends, though we can be if you want. I just meant that, we’re more than not friends, but we really don’t know much about each other to be considered friends yet,” she rubbed at her eyes, groaning. “At some point I get less babbly I swear it.”

“That might be the saddest thing you’ve ever told me,” Tommy said taking a seat across from her when she sat down. “And for the record, I do consider us friends, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, yes. Of course.”

“Good.” He handed her a bottle of tea, before settling back down. “So you texted about the recording?”

She finished swallowing down the divine California roll, before she grabbed her tablet and handed it to him. “It just finished up. I figured you’d want to be the first to hear it.”

She handed him a pair of headphones, continuing with her lunch while he listened. Considering the contents she assumed he didn’t want her focusing too much on him, but Felicity couldn’t pull all her attention off of Tommy. She wanted to make sure he was okay. Which was probably how she noticed the tension coil in his shoulders, and how his back went straight in his chair. 

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost?” she said when he focused on her. 

“Not saw,” he sighed looking down at the tablet. “But that voice. I didn’t get it when it happened. Adrenaline probably. And the fact that I was scared shitless. But I do now. I know who it is.”

Even though the office was deserted, everyone else out sick with the flu, or on their lunch break, Felicity still leaned across the desk. “Okay clue me in here.”

“Oliver,” Tommy’s voice dropped as he looked like he was gonna be sick. “Oliver’s the one who kidnapped me.”

“Tommy that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe not,” Tommy said, his jaw clenching and unclenching with something-- anger? frustration? sadness? “But I’d know my best friend’s voice anywhere. And that,” he let out a sigh and met Felicity’s eyes as he pulled the headphones out and the voices of Tommy and his captor filled the air. “Is definitely Oliver.”

\----

Tommy was seething and grieving and relieved all at the same time. The mixture of emotions flooding through him was nearly enough to steal the breath from his lungs, it was that overwhelming. 

“But why would he do that?” Felicity asked, pulling Tommy’s attention back to the blonde beside him.

It was a question he’d been rolling around in his own head for the last few minutes. What would ever possess Oliver to kidnap him? To tell Tommy explicitly that he was dead? And if he was okay, why would he stay gone for so long?

“I wish I knew.” But it was more than that. Wishing was minor league for Tommy now. He needed answers more than ever before. He had to find out what was keeping Oliver away. What could be so bad he’d rather Tommy and his family think he was dead? 

Felicity’s fingers were flying across the keyboard and Tommy was lost in thought, but he noticed when she stopped and tilted her head to the side.

“What have you been doing for more than two years?” she questioned, eyes intent on the screen.

Tommy moved closer to her, only to find a photo of Oliver up on the screen.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m working on this employee database and curiosity just kind of got the better of me. I thought maybe he’d give us some answers or something.” She blushed a little, her ponytail whipping over her shoulder as she turned her head.

“Oliver’s never been much of one for that,” Tommy said with a sigh.

Felicity’s eyes narrowed and she leaned in close to the screen. “It can’t be,” she said breathily.

“What?” Tommy asked, not sure what she was seeing, but interested just the same.

Her head shook and her fingers were dancing on the keys again, screens popping up here and there on the monitor. Until finally she was satisfied and fell back against the back of her computer chair. “Your friend was here,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “He was in this building the night we met.”

Tommy scrubbed a hand down his face. The night they had met was the night of his party. Maybe he hadn’t been so crazy about thinking that he’d seen Oliver there after all. The information was too much to take in. He’d expected a name, a voice… something that would lead him to the truth. He hadn’t expected Oliver’s voice to haunt him through a recording of his kidnapping.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Felicity said, placing a hand on Tommy’s arm, her brow still knit together.

Tommy laughed, but without humor. “I don’t?” he asked. “Because I feel like I’ve just found out my best friend who was presumed dead is not only alive and well, but also kidnapped me four months ago.” His fingers went to his hair, raking through the dark locks as he tried to keep his composure. “He was here a month ago. In this building,” Tommy’s jaw clenched. “And he was at my party.”

He couldn’t believe it, really. After all this time, years of wondering, months of searching. “The one answer I wanted, and it’s just raised a hundred more questions.”

It took him off guard when Felicity stood, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. But it wasn’t unwelcomed. 

“We will figure this out,” she said as she pulled back. “I swear to you, I’m not giving up until we know all the facts.”

“If Oliver doesn’t want to be found, how are we--”

She held a hand to his chest, shaking her head. “I know you don’t mean to insult me with that statement. But you trusted me with this, so trust me that I will find him. And when I do, you can ask him all these questions yourself.”

She reclaimed her seat, and Tommy couldn’t help staring. This girl was more than he could have ever hoped for. “You’re amazing, I hope you know that.”

“Honestly it’s nice to actually be able to use my skills every once in awhile,” she shrugged, fingers back to work at the keys. “I mean QC is great and all, but unless something pivotal happens in my life, I doubt I will ever be using my impressive degree for much more than, ‘have you tried turning your computer off and then back on again?’ related crises. Besides I hate mysteries. They need to be solved.”

He laughed shaking his head. “Maybe you need a new place of work?” he offered perching on the edge of her desk, his hands pressed to the surface. “Somewhere that will appreciate and utilize your abilities.”

“You know of any places currently hiring 20 year olds fresh out of college who barely have nine months actual work experience under their belt?”

“There’s a position opening up and Merlyn Global,” He replied. “And, I happen to know that the CEO would be more than lucky to have you on his team.”

She laughed, before looking back at him. “Oh, you are not joking! Tommy, I can’t work for you.”

“Technically, you’d be working for my father, and why not. You hate it here. You’re always talking about how stifling it is, and how they never treat you with respect,” he paused swinging himself back around the desk so they were face to face. “I can guarantee that would not happen at MG. I mean my dad’s a dick to most people, but not his employees. He recognizes talent when he sees it, and ten seconds after meeting you, I’m sure he’d give you free reign over the entire technology division.”

“Okay, but that’s not how I want to get ahead in my career, I don’t need you doing me any favors or putting in a good word for me.”

“And I wouldn’t,” he held his hands up in surrender. “I may have majored in partying and nonexclusive relationships in college, but I can respect that the majority of people didn’t view higher education as a vacation from family drama. I wouldn’t want to diminish your accomplishments by doing that. All I’m saying is, there’s a position opening up, so send them your resume. I swear on this amazing sushi that I won’t have anything to do with the process whatsoever.”

It was a few moments before Felicity spoke again, but then she picked up her lunch, waving a chopstick at him. “Fine I will send in my resume. Happy?”

“Getting there,” he replied reclaiming his seat. Things were still up in the air. He was more worried for Oliver than ever before, but he trusted Felicity. He trusted that she could do what she promised. And that was enough for now.

\---

The cargo ship was coming into the port and Oliver was convinced that Akio being able to translate the broken radio in the control room was the only reason they were still alive. Captain Sokolov had warned Oliver that if Akio’s translation was somehow wrong or a trick, they would both suffer before death.

The two guards had disappeared and brought in three other men as the ship got closer and closer to the port. Along with the captain, they all spoke quickly in Russian, presumably making some sort of plan, but with the increasing panic among them, Oliver knew whatever plan they had, it wasn’t good.

Clearing his throat, Oliver took a cautious step toward the men. “If you allow my friend and I to live, I can get you out of this mess,” he said, pulling the attention of every man in the room. “And your boss never has to find out about this-- or about what you brought back with you from China.”

This time, three guns were unholstered and pointed at him, making Oliver raise his hands in surrender. “You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain from this,” he explained. “If I fail, either they will kill me, or you will kill me. If I beat them, no one has to know about whatever it is you’re smuggling in.”

The captain stepped forward, considering Oliver’s offer. “And the girl?” he asked.

Oliver nodded. “I will get her back safely.”

“Good,” the captain growled. “If she dies, we all die.”

Glancing back at Akio, Oliver gave the boy a quick wink and a nod, something to offer him some reassurance that everything would be okay. “I’m going to need a weapon,” Oliver said, holding out a hand expectantly.

The trigger happy guard from earlier laughed, before turning his attention to the captain, who nodded to hand over the weapon. The guard sobered quickly, letting out a deep sigh as he handed Oliver his gun. All of the other men in the control room had their hands on their holstered weapons, daring Oliver to make a wrong move.

“The boy stays with us,” Captain Sokolov said, motioning toward Akio.

“No,” Oliver countered. “I won’t let him out of my sight.”

The captain barked a laugh. “You two leave together and you don’t come back,” he said shaking his head. “The boy stays until you return with Sofia.”

“Oliver,” Akio said, motioning for Oliver to come closer.

Oliver crossed the distance between them and took a knee so that he and Akio were at eye-level. “I won’t leave you here,” Oliver said, his voice hushed.

“It’s okay,” Akio nodded. “You should go get the girl. She needs you more.”

Oliver felt something clench in his gut, knowing that Akio was right, but not being able to bear the thought of leaving him alone with all of these Bratva soldiers. They were Russian mob for christ’s sake. How could he ever forgive himself if something happened?

“You are running low on time, Mr. Oliver,” Sokolov said, tapping his watch.

Oliver sighed, gripping Akio’s shoulders and giving him a gentle squeeze. “I will come back for you,” he promised, before turning and dashing out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who's been reading and reviewing. We're so glad that you guys have really taken to this story, and want to know what's going to happen next. As a writer it's a wonderful feeling to know that people are enjoying your work. 
> 
> I know a lot of you (given the reviews we've gotten) are on the fence about the Felicity/Tommy stuff. And I just want to reiterate what I said in a comment reply already.
> 
> We wanted to tell a story. As many of you know sometimes you have to let your story take you where it needs to go in order for things to feel authentic. That's all we have tried to do, and I feel like we have. And as my co-author has stated twice, one need only look at our URLs to see where our hearts really lie. 
> 
> I won't bore you with anymore words. Onward to the story.

By the time Tommy left Felicity’s office, he had calmed down some.  Sure, the whole idea of Ollie still being alive, of him being the one who kidnapped Tommy still seemed completely unfathomable.  But Tommy was sure that he and Felicity were going to get to the bottom of this; they had to, for Oliver’s sake.

Dodging traffic as he crossed the street to his father’s company, Tommy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.  He smiled when he saw it was an incoming text from Felicity.

_I was thinking that if you wanted to talk about it, or just needed a sympathetic ear, that I’m here for you._

It was funny, how in such a stressful and insane time in his life, he was able to find some relief in the fact that through this he’d made a new friend.  Even if it was strange for Tommy to have a female friend.  It wasn’t really his style, after all.  But there was something about Felicity-- something in the disarming quality of her laugh, in the genuineness of her babbling-- that made him want to keep her around in his life.  As if a bit of her brightness and goodness might rub off on him.

_Movie nite @ my place?_ he texted back quickly, pulling the front door to MG open and swiping his security badge across a checkpoint.

“Well this is a surprise.”

Tommy froze, cringing slightly at the voice. He’d expected his father to be here sure, but he’d hoped the man would be very far upstairs, in a meeting or perhaps busy hitting on his secretary.

“Dad, what’s up?” He turned as he pocketed his phone.

“What’s up? Well perhaps you’d care to tell me,” Malcolm replied crossing his arms. “According to Moira you’ve been spending a bit of extra time at QC these past few weeks. Silly me, I thought when you actually started taking an interest in company business, it would be our company.”  He paused, as if letting the words marinate a moment in his son’s mind.  “As friendly with the Queen’s as we are, they are still the competition.”

“I was just visiting a friend, Dad.” Which wasn’t a lie. “I swear no corporate espionage, just two people enjoying a love of sushi.”

“This isn’t still about Oliver is it?” Malcolm ventured and Tommy had to fight to keep his face passive. “Because it’s been months since your little trip to Hong Kong, and I think we both know you’d be better off if you let this fantasy go. What would people say if they knew?”

“I’m sorry if believing even for the shortest of time that my best friend could be alive, was affecting other people’s opinions of me,” Tommy said with a scoff. “Anyway that’s not why I came by.”

“Oh really? Did you wear out your gold card?” Malcolm smirked walking towards the bank of elevators. “Because I don’t happen to have an extra on me.”

He kept the growl as under his breath as he could, while following his father. “Could you stop for like two seconds and listen to me please?”

Malcolm turned on a heel, and it took all his energy not to crash into his father.

“I’m listening.”

It had been a mostly unplanned decision, but he knew that he could do more to find Oliver under the guise of work than he could any other way.  So Tommy took a deep breath.

“I was thinking that maybe you were right,” He sighed for good measure. Because there was nothing more that Malcolm Merlyn liked than someone who begrudgingly agreed with him. “I need to start acting my age, and accepting the responsibilities that come with the Merlyn name. So if the offer from last summer still stands, I want to join the company.”

His father smiled at him, the assessment heavy in his eyes. “You’re really serious about this?”

“Absolutely.”

“Because it means showing up to office at 8am, five days a week. In a row.”

“Is that why they call it a work week? I had no idea,” he shoved his hands in his pockets, a smirk on his face. “I get that this means a lifestyle change. And I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think that’s exactly what I need in my life.”

“Okay,” Malcolm relented, but he still looked at Tommy with a hint of apprehension. “If you’re sure you’re ready, you can start Monday morning.”

“Monday at 11, sweet.”

“Tommy.”

“Kidding Dad. I’ll be here at 8, ready to learn.” The elevator opened and he nodded to his father as the man got in. “See you then.”

He waited until the doors closed before pulling out his phone. One message from Felicity sitting in his inbox.

_I pick the films you handle the food._

\---

Oliver hit the ground running once he’d gotten off the Russian cargo ship.  The port was expansive, but he knew that the men holding Sofia must have plenty of firepower around to keep an eye out.

The first few targets had been easy enough to take out.  Waller’s training had improved his gun skills, even if Oliver had hated every second of his time working for her.  It seemed that every day he lived pushed him further and further from Starling City and the boy he used to be there.  People weren’t people anymore-- not when the world was so often kill or be killed.  Now they were just targets.

He had acquired a radio from the first one he took out, shoving the man’s body between two closely situated shipping containers.  Unfortunately for Oliver, since they were all speaking Mandarin, it wasn’t exactly like he could just pretend to be one of them to find out which direction he should be heading.  Sofia was around somewhere though, and if the next target made himself useful enough to lead Oliver to her, that man might just make it out alive.

Oliver knew he didn’t have much time.  Sooner or later one of the men he’d taken out wouldn’t respond to an order and whoever had Sofia would get suspicious.  The chatter on the radio became more frantic and then a scream pierced the darkness, giving Oliver a direction to head in, even if it lessened the time he had to find her.  This reminded him of Lian Yu, running on adrenaline, lack of sleep, an empty stomach and someone’s life in peril.  Except on Lian Yu it was mostly his own.

Another scream sent Oliver running to the left, and he knew he was getting close now.  Her voice came through the radio, shaken and sobbing and breathy. The words were in Russian, but Oliver didn’t have to speak the language to know what Sofia was saying.  Something along the lines of ‘help’ and ‘surrender’ if he had to guess.   

He stopped short of the last corner, the voices louder growing louder in front of him. From the sound of the boots he estimated three guys, and they were probably guarding a door. If he was lucky they’d only be armed with handguns, but luck wasn’t exactly Oliver’s strongest trait, so he’d have to rely on skill instead.

He peeked his head around the corner, all three target’s thankfully facing different directions than his own. But that didn’t last long when the radio sounded. The static and frantic voice alerting them to his position, and even if he couldn’t understand the words he suspected they weren’t telling the guards to stand down. He fired two shots, hitting the guy on the left in the shoulder, before rolling to the other side. The largest of the three moved forward, his gun outstretched, giving Oliver just enough room to grab his forearm, bending it back as the bones cracked and popped. He managed another shot, hitting the last one in the knee, before letting the big guy fall to the ground, passing out from pain. He couldn’t help the small smile creep on his face. These guys wouldn’t last ten seconds under Waller’s command. Not that he’d wish that for anyone.

He heard the shuffle behind the door, grabbing another discarded weapon from the ground. As the door swung open, Oliver only had a few seconds to plan his next move. He missed when he aimed for the man’s shoulder, and barely dodged when the target came at him. But the momentum was enough for him to regain some control, shifting to the right as he brought his knee up, crushing it into the man’s ribs, and jabbing his elbow down hard into the guy’s spine.

He crumpled below Oliver, who kept his weapon raised as he entered. Only two were left in the room. Sofia stood as a man held her tightly, his thick tattooed arms curled around her neck like a boa constrictor.  She was older than he’d expected, in her early twenties perhaps, but still scrawny.  She reminded him of Thea, and that was very, very bad for the men Oliver was currently facing.

“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way,” Oliver said dryly.  He wasn’t sure why, but he felt an inner glee at saying those words-- it was one of those ‘only happens in movies’ type things.  Or maybe it was just that he was still running on adrenaline.

The tattooed man took a step toward Oliver and scoffed. “They send an American in after you? Must not be that valuable.”

“Big talk for someone who just lost twelve of his guys in under twenty minutes,” Oliver retorted, sighting his weapon, even if he wouldn’t pull the trigger. He couldn’t, not while the girl was so close. “Why don’t you give her to me, and the two of us will leave before I put a bullet in you too.”

“They stole from me,” he said with a grin. “It’s only fair I steal from them. If they return my diamonds, I’ll let the girl go.”

“I’m not here to negotiate.” He turned his gaze to Sofia. “You okay?”

She nodded slightly, but Oliver could see the fear ripple off of her. And fear only hindered these types of situations, it added too much to an already high stakes play.

“Sofia I need you to listen to me.” She focused on him, but he could tell it was hard. Tattoo probably had a gun on her back now that his grip around her neck had loosened. But if the two of them would make it out of there she had to pay attention to him. “I need you to take a deep breath, alright? You’ll be out of here soon.”

“Don’t make promises you cannot keep. The girl stays until I get my diamonds back.”

“We both know how this is gonna end,” Oliver took a step closer, his eyes trained on Sofia. Oliver knew he would have to track the other man’s movements through her. And he hated that. Another innocent person caught up in something they didn’t ask for. When was the universe going to stop reminding him that everyone was a target for the bad in the world? Just once Oliver wished it didn’t have to be this way.

Another step forward and Sofia froze, her back arching forward. Oliver knew that look, he recognized the fear on her face. The man was pressing the barrel of his gun to her back, probably digging it in as much as he could. Along with fear he could see something else in her eyes. A steely bravery that reminded him so much of Shado that night, when Ivo put a gun to her head and killed her. He  wasn’t gonna let that happen to Sofia.

Oliver smiled when he realized the guy’s mistake. All that focus on Sofia and his gun arm, and none on his open side. Oliver lunged to the right, using his left hand to push Sofia out of the line of fire. Tattoo got off a shot, but it lodged in the back wall and as Oliver brought his boot down on the man’s hand, the gun skidded away. He retrained his own weapon, pointing it straight at the man’s head.

“Why help them?” he gritted through the pain, because Oliver still had yet to lift his boot from his shattered fingers. “They are not good men.”

He knelt down, moving the pressure of his boot further up the man’s arms. “Neither am I.”

He stood again, shooting the radio just near the man’s free hand, then popping off another shot to his knee. “And you won’t be following us.”

“Spasibo,” Sofia said coming up to his side. And Oliver was reminded again, that he really really needed to learn a foreign language. She must have seen his confusion because she tried again. “Thank you.”

“You can thank me when we get out of this damn ship yard, okay?”

Sofia nodded, reaching for Oliver’s hand as they took off, out of the small guard’s station where she was being held captive.  It was a strange experience, Oliver had to admit, saving people when he felt like all he was good at was getting people hurt.  Maybe Akio and Sofia were a step in a new direction for him.  He sighed, thoughts for another time, perhaps.  For now he had to worry about getting them back to the cargo ship without being seen by any more of Tattoo’s men.

\---

Felicity had spent the better part of an hour debating whether or not to change out of her work clothes, how she should wear her hair, if she should add any more eye shadow to her day-time makeup look.  She was pretty sure she was overthinking this whole movie thing.  After all, it wasn’t a date.  It was just two new friends getting together to watch a movie and eat some food.

Sure, when she put it to herself like that, it sounded somewhat date like.  But it wasn’t a date.  She reminded herself of it again, just for good measure.

She had only texted Tommy once since leaving work-- to ask him what his address was and to confirm the time for their movie night.  Knowing the truth about the audio recording made Felicity a little apprehensive about what was going to happen moving forward.  It was clear that Tommy needed someone to be there for him, and she had been honest when she’d told him that she would be that person.  But tracking someone down who clearly didn’t want to be found could have some serious consequences-- ones that both she and Tommy were going to have to be willing to pay.

Felicity shook her head, watching her loose waves of blonde hair cascade over her shoulders in her bathroom mirror.  She finally settled on no additional eyeshadow and just a hint of lip gloss, changing into a pair of jeans and a thin sweater.  Comfortable and casual but still cute.  Perfect.

Grabbing her bag, Felicity shoved a few DVD’s inside before heading for the door.  She’d decided it would be a Spy Movie marathon and she’d gathered her old 007 movie collection-- along with a few of the newer ones (Daniel Craig was just so enjoyable to look at).

_On my way!_ she typed quickly, shooting off a text to Tommy as she headed for the door.  It felt good to have a new friend in Starling.  After nine months of hard work and very little social life, she hoped that this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Her phone buzzed in her hand as she walked to the car and she read the reply from Tommy. _Great.  Hope BBB is okay._

Felicity grinned wide at that.  She wasn’t sure how Tommy had known that she had a weakness for Big Belly Burger, but it was just what she was craving tonight for their movie marathon.

Despite being in high spirits, Felicity found herself thinking about Oliver a good deal on the drive to his best friend’s apartment.  It still baffled her how someone could disappear like that, without a trace, without a call, without a word.  It seemed unfathomable to her.  She might not see her mother all the time, but Felicity’s mom at least still had the ability to contact her if necessary.  But Oliver letting everyone think he was dead when he really wasn’t, it was something that Felicity would need to get to the bottom of, her own curiosity wouldn’t let her rest until she had it figured out.

She pulled into the apartment complex, a little surprised to find it was not as lavish as she’d expected.  From the outside it didn’t strike her as the type of place with penthouse apartments and doormen.  Even as she stepped into the lobby, Felicity was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn’t scream money.

“Right on time,” a voice said behind her, causing Felicity to turn.  Tommy had just come in after her, two carry-out bags and a drink holder with milkshakes from Big Belly Burger in his hands.  “I wanted to make sure they were still hot when we ate.”

“Mmm,” Felicity hummed.  “Good thinking.  Nothing is worse than soggy, cold french fries.”

Tommy crossed the distance between them, pressing the button for the elevator.  “Find the place okay?”

She nodded with a grin, pulling one of the bags from Tommy’s hand.  The smell of grease and hamburgers greeted her and Felicity pulled a few fries out and popped them in her mouth.  She met Tommy’s eyes and his danced with amusement.  When the elevator dinged it’s arrival, a quick thought scurried through her head about their first meeting, not long ago, in the elevator at QC.  So many things had already changed since that night, and she could already sense more changes coming their way.

Together they stepped into the elevator and Tommy pressed the button for the appropriate floor as the doors closed them in.

“So I was thinking a spy movie marathon?” Felicity suggested, popping another french fry into her mouth.  “I brought all my favorite 007’s.”

Tommy shot her a sideways glance and she noticed a single brow quirk up.  “Is Pussy Galore among them?” he asked, clearly intending the not-so-veiled innuendo.

“Yes,” Felicity sighed trying and failing to hide her amusement.  “I brought Goldfinger.  But I was thinking something more recent?  Maybe Casino Royale?”

“I can’t say no to a good game of cards,” Tommy said, just as the elevator dropped them off at their floor.

“Is that so?” Felicity asked, her voice holding a little challenge of its own.  It was strange how easy things were with Tommy, how quickly they’d fallen into flirty banter and comfortable quasi-friendship.

“Hold on there, Smoak,” Tommy said, keys in his hand as they made their way to his door.  “If that’s your way of challenging me to a game of strip poker,” he paused.  “Well then I accept.”

Felicity smacked him in the arm, because even if that was what she meant, there was a stark difference between alluding to it and blurting it out like that.  “In your dreams,” she said, but she was smiling even when she’d tried to keep a straight face.

After he’d unlocked it, the apartment door swung open and Tommy led her inside, flipping on lights as he pointed in the general direction of the kitchen and bathroom.  Straight ahead was the living room and they set down their dinner and kicked off their shoes, like it had been their routine for years.  Felicity found Casino Royale and stuck it in the DVD player while Tommy headed for the kitchen for a couple of beers.

About half way through the movie, Tommy interrupted an action sequence.  “So, tell me,” Tommy said, only half pulling Felicity’s focus from the screen to glance at him.  “Where do you come down on tuxes?”

“I’m sorry?” she questioned, blinking a few times and looking in his direction.

“Well, personally I think they’re uptight and suffocating, but they have to be in every Bond movie for a reason, right?  Like the Aston Martin.”

Felicity smiled, leaning forward to set her beer down on the coffee table and stealing the last of the fries from in front of him.  “The tux is classic.  No, it’s more than that.  It’s classy and sophisticated.  And god, so sexy.”

“Yeah?” Tommy asked, leaning forward with his ever present smirk.  “You ever had to wear one for a whole night?”

“Can’t say that I have,” she answered.  “But I don’t want to hear anything from you until you’ve spent at least three hours in four inch heels.”

“Well then I guess I can complain all I want to,” he said, and Felicity’s attention was all-together pulled from the movie.

“I’m sorry what now?” she asked, finding herself leaning toward him just a little.  They were both grinning like fools but it didn’t matter.  They were having fun and not thinking about--

“Oliver and I rushed some fraternity I can’t even remember now during our freshman year of college,” he said, his voice a little wistful.  “It didn’t last long as we both got kicked out for not attending classes.  But we were definitely forced to dress up and ‘waitress’ an entire party.”

Felicity was unable to hold back her giggles, partially because of the story and partially because of the few beers she’d had.  “I hope there are pictures!” she laughed.  “Now I know what I’m doing with my weekend.”

She was glad to find that Tommy was smiling too.  “Thankfully it was before smartphones were so popular.  God, could you imagine?”

“Oh yes,” Felicity answered.  “And you should know, if it’s online, I will find it.”  She took a long sip of her beer, finishing the bottle off and setting it back on the table.  Turning her attention back to the movie, she mused. “You know what I love most about the Bond movies?  The silly gadgets.  Like that clothing brush in Live and Let Die that transmits messages or--”

Tommy shrugged, sinking down a little further into the couch.  “Seems as good a way as any to send a message to someone.”

Felicity smiled, shaking her head.  “With a magic lint brush?” she asked.  “No, it’s got to be low tech.  Anything done electronically these days can be traced.”  She concentrated for a moment, thinking up how she would handle secret messages if she ever had the chance.  “A personal ad,” she said finally.  “Something stupid in some far off newspaper that anyone else would just glance past.”

Tommy nodded.  She couldn’t tell if he was impressed or amused.  Perhaps a combination of the two.  “A personal ad,” he repeated.

“Yep,” Felicity declared.  “That’s how I would do it.”

“You given a lot of thought to secret spy life?” Tommy challenged with a grin.

She just rolled her eyes, playfully bumping into his shoulder. “Since I met you I seem to be giving a lot of new things some thought... And that so did not mean anything remotely more than what the words intended.”

“Thank you,” he said, his eyes trained on her.

“Dare I ask what for?”

“Being a friend.” he paused, a wistful smirk on his face. “I can’t talk to anyone about Ollie, not my old friends and certainly not my father. So it’s nice to be around someone who knows.”

“Well,” she let her hand fall to rest on his. “I’m glad I can help, even if it’s just being there to talk or listen.”

Silence fell between them again as they refocused on the movie, with one difference from before. Felicity never let her hand leave Tommy’s.

\---

Oliver and Akio sat in a restaurant as plate after plate of food were set down in front of them.  Akio ravaged through, eating with his hands, and barely chewing before he swallowed all of the rolls and meat that were set down in front of him.  Despite Oliver’s hunger, he couldn’t bring himself to eat.  They still had plenty to worry about, despite the intense actions of the last five hours being behind them.

“It’s so good,” Akio said, his mouth full of food.

Oliver smiled at the boy, ruffling his hair.  “I’m glad buddy.  You eat as much as you want.  But don’t make yourself sick.”

Akio nodded, grabbing another roll from a basket and breaking it open.  Oliver’s stomach rolled again at the scent.  Maybe he could stomach a roll before they brought him in front of whoever they deemed appropriate to deal with the mess Oliver and Akio had caused aboard their ship.

The only thing they had going for them was that Oliver had saved Sofia.  The captain hadn’t said it in so many words, but it seemed like Sofia was important to these men.  Hopefully what Oliver had done would make up for the fact that he and Akio had been stowaways on what appeared to be a Bratva ship.

Captain Sokolov and a few other men appeared from the kitchen door and stopped in front of Oliver and Akio’s table.

“They will see you now,” Sokolov said, pointing to Oliver.

Oliver nodded, standing and looking back to Akio.  “Be sure to save me some?” he questioned.

Akio grinned wide.  “Maybe,” he said, and then took a long sip of the Coca Cola in his glass.

He ruffled the boy’s hair as he walked past, following Sokolov. The seconds ticked by as they moved, but Oliver felt them slow as he pushed himself forward. Oliver didn’t want to let on that he was a bit weaker after all the fighting he had done; now wasn’t a time for weakness, not when things were still so uncertain.  One of the others held the kitchen door open and Sokolov motioned for Oliver to follow him in.  They made their way through the kitchen and to a small hallway at the back of the building, where there were a few doors leading to different rooms.  Sokolov stopped at the first door on the left, knocking once before pushing the door open.

As Oliver entered, three people were before him, two of which he recognized, and the third he could infer as to their identity. Sofia stood to the side of the table, a kind smile on her face.  She held her arm close to her side and it only took Oliver a second before he saw the white bandage on her upper arm. He hadn’t noticed she was hurt when getting her to safety, if he had the man with the tattoos wouldn’t have lived through the night. Her other hand rested on the stranger’s shoulder.

He was seated next to Sofia, and was a far older gentleman than anyone else in the room. Though gentleman was probably a bit more generous a title than he deserved. He had the look Oliver had seen in dozen of men’s eyes, the look that separated the professionals from the amateurs. He had definitely killed before and he’d enjoyed it too. But the way his hand rested over Sofia’s with a comforting glide across her knuckles told Oliver all he needed to know. Above anything else right then, he was a man just happy to have his daughter safely back home.

Anatoly Knyanzev sat next to the man, and Oliver could see the similarities. Same strong jawline, same steel blue eyes. The two were also related. His best guess was brothers. Well if Oliver had to get roped into saving anyone’s life, at least she was related to someone he kinda knew, right?

“Oliver Queen,” Anatoly spoke, a small smile gracing his lips. “I thought for sure you had sunk to the bottom of the sea along with that freighter. But here you stand, alive enough to save our little Sofia. Not sure about your love for boats Mr. Queen, but they sure seem to love you.”

“Anatoly, I see you opted against that trip to the Bahamas,” Oliver said with a nod.  He shouldn’t be surprised, right?  After all, he’d made it off the freighter, it made sense that the rest of the men on the submarine would have survived.  “Ships do seem to be my lot in life.”

A smile spread across Anatoly’s face and then he was laughing and raising a glass of vodka toward Oliver.  “So they do,” Anatoly laughed.  “You will sit, yes?  And regale us all with the stories of your journeys.  My brother Mikhail and I are very interested to learn about how you came to be on a ship of ours.”

Oliver took a seat across the table from Anatoly and Mikhail.  The other men in the room retreated, closing the door behind them.

“It would seem congratulations are in order,” Anatoly said, pouring a shot of vodka into a glass and sliding it toward Oliver.  “I hear you have acquired a child since I saw you last.”

Akio.  Oliver’s stomach tightened at the thought of him out there alone.  Even if they were safe for the immediate future, it was hard to let the boy out of his sight.  “I am looking out for him,” Oliver said, not sure how much detail to give them.  “Until we can track down his parents.”

Anatoly nodded and Sofia leaned down, whispering something to her father and uncle.  When they both nodded, she met Oliver’s eyes.  “I sit with boy,” Sofia said, her voice gentle and warm.

“Sofia will keep your friend company until we have finished,” Anatoly said, dismissing the girl.

“Thank you,” Oliver said, offering her a smile.  His eyes stayed on Anatoly as Sofia left, leaving the three men alone.  It bothered Oliver that he couldn’t see the door from where he sat.  His tension and adrenaline were already running high and being on constant alert for so long was wearing him out.  He felt like a coil that had reached its max, ready to snap.

Anatoly reached for his shot glass, waiting for Oliver and Mikhail to follow suit before raising it inward and saying, “Prochnost.”

“Prochnost,” Oliver repeated.  They had exchanged that word before as a goodbye and even if Oliver was unsure of what the word meant, he was nearly certain that they wouldn’t be ‘cheers’ing if they were about to kill him. He drank down the clear liquid, letting the old familiar burn recharge his system.

“Oliver, my brother says you saved his life, yes?” Mikhail spoke for the first time, his voice about as gruff as Oliver imagined. “And now you save my sweet Sofia. Do you make a habit of rescuing people or are Knyanzev’s just special?”

“Guess I was just in the right place at the right time,” he replied as politely as he could. Oliver knew being rude wasn’t going to get him the security he needed, but this Mikhail didn’t strike him as the type who really offered favors in exchange for good deeds. If he wanted somewhere safe for him and Akio, he was going to have to get it from Anatoly.

“Captain Sokolov says you and your friend stowed away on our ship before it left China,” Anatoly said leveling his gaze. “I must be honest with you, had they not been my men, you and the boy would be resting in the deep now. I think your luck at sea might be nearing an end. So tell us, what was so important you had to steal passage on our ship?”

“The ends justified the means at the time,” Oliver replied. He still wasn’t sure how much he could say, or how far from China ARGUS’s spies reached. He could be safe with the Bratva, or he could be signing his and Akio’s death certificates by opening his mouth. Though he supposed Oliver Queen’s death certificate had already been signed, sealed, and delivered ages ago.

“You are running,” Anatoly assessed. “Not Slade Wilson, I hope. Because if you brought that to my doorstep, I will turn you away. I do not care if you save a hundred Knyanzev’s in your lifetime.”

“It’s not Slade,” Oliver cut in, as the memories of those final days off the coast of Lian Yu flooded his mind. “He was taken care of when the ship went down. But the who isn’t important right now.”

“The devil is always in the details boy,” Makhail said. “How can we have you here if we do not know the kind of trouble you’ve brought along with you?”

“Trust me when I tell you this devil isn’t someone you want to get to know,” Oliver replied. “You only knew me for a short time Anatoly, but I’d like to believe you got a fair estimate of the kind of man I am.” Even if he didn’t really feel like that man any longer. “I don’t care why your men were in China, I don’t care why the Chinese sent knock-off pirates back after them, and I really don’t care why they were able to kidnap your niece so easily. All I care about is protecting that kid sitting out there. That’s my only mission right now.”

“The problem, Oliver,” Anatoly started, and Oliver could already tell this conversation wasn’t going to go the way he wanted.  “Is that no one outside our brotherhood knows as much as you do about us and lives.”

Oliver leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.  “You told me once that you owed me your life,” he said, keeping his voice even.  “And it would seem that after tonight you may owe me a second.”

Mikhail regarded Oliver carefully, warily.  “What do you want?”

“You say no one outside the organization knows about it and lives,” Oliver answered.  “It seems it may serve both our interests to rectify the former.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies- Cassie here! Just wanted to once again thank you all for the love and support you've been throwing our way on this story. It's so greatly appreciated. Kayla and I have LOVED reading your thoughts and comments on how things are panning out so far. This past week during writing we surpassed 100k words on this fic (and it's not over yet!), so just so you all know there is a LONG way to go, but we hope you're all ready to be along for the ride.
> 
> Thank you again, especially for those of you who have left us comments. We greatly appreciate hearing from you!

It had taken Felicity only two days to get an interview at Merlyn Global and they’d offered her the job just a few days after that. Tommy may have joked about how if the decision had been up to him, he would have offered her the job on the spot, but it made Felicity relax a little to know that she had gotten the job on her own merit and not because of her new friendship with the son of the CEO.

Tommy had been right, though, communication was much easier with them working in the same building. He seemed to find a reason to come to the IT department most days, and Felicity would give him updates on her search for Oliver. 

“Two months we’ve been doing these movie nights and I’m just now hearing about this?” she scoffed one day while they were out to lunch near work. “I can’t believe you’ve never seen the Breakfast Club. It’s an 80’s classic, right up there with Madonna and leg warmers.”

“Well if it helps I’ve also never worn leg warmers,” he replied trading his last egg roll for her dumpling. “To my knowledge that is.”

“That’s it, we have to rectify this. I’m not sure our friendship can survive until you’ve seen this movie, and have experienced Judd Nelson in his prime,” she replied using a single chopstick to steal a piece of chicken off his plate, popping it in her mouth before he could protest. “Please tell me you’ve at least seen Pretty in Pink? Sixteen Candles? St. Elmo’s Fire?”

“Is that the one where Steve Martin plays a dude in witness protection?” Tommy ventured with a smirk.

“No,” she shook her head with a laugh. “And because of your complete lack of 80’s movie culture we now have to have a marathon weekend. So clear your schedule Merlyn, because we’re taking a trip to the Brat Pack era.”

“I’ll make sure to pack my acid washed jeans before we leave,” he joked. 

And here it was, the best segue she could have asked for in a conversation, like a giant Vegas Casino sign, telling her ‘this is the conversation opener’. 

“Speaking of packing,” she started, the nervous tick of gnawing at her lower lip out in full force. 

“Uh oh, you’ve got mission face,” he noted taking a drink from his soda. It was a term they christened together for whenever the other was thinking about their side project. 

“I’ve been trying to track his movements over the last few months, and honestly Tommy I’m coming up with a whole lotta nothing. Which for me is about as frustrating as a frat boy who can’t play beer pong. By the way, super ridiculous pastime. I mean your skill level gets worse as you continue to play. What kind of game is that?” she huffed counting to three. “Anyway the last even close to a lead I was able to find is a private flight out of Starling International on the night of your birthday. Passenger list was totally redacted, but the destination said Hong Kong. And I mean yes that could have just put Hong Kong down on the file, or it could have been a layover to somewhere else entirely. But it sees like all roads lead back to China.”

“So if I want to find him I have to return to where he kidnapped me in the first place. Perfect.” Tommy’s tone betrayed just how not over the whole thing he really was.

She gave his hand a squeeze and then a smile she hoped was reassuring. Then his words set in. “Wait I’m sorry, you just made it sound like you’d be going alone? I thought we were in this together?”

“We are,” he said. “But did you gloss over the kidnapping part? It’s too dangerous for me to drag you along. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something bad happened to you.”

“And I’d be fine and dandy if something happened to you and I wasn’t there to help?” Felicity scoffed, yanking her hand back. “I’m not a child Tommy, I know what I’d be risking going with you.”

“How? I don’t even know what I’m risking. Or who I’m risking it for.” his voice dropped as he met her eyes. “For all I know the Oliver I knew died on that boat, and the man I’m chasing is a phantom with his face.”

“I feel like you’re more afraid of having someone there with you when you discover the truth, then you are for either of our safety,” she shook her head, as she pulled some bills from her wallet before tossing them on the table. “And I get it, I really do. But I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other. Not about this.”

“Felicity--”

“See you back at the office,” she replied getting up and stalking out of the restaurant. 

\---

Tommy hadn’t expected her to walk out of the restaurant after what she’d just told him. In fact, he was a bit blindsided by the information to begin with. The thought of going to back to Hong Kong was overwhelming after what had happened there last time. He certainly wasn’t ready to relive those memories. The fact that Felicity wanted to be a part of it, that she was willing to risk her life for his crazed mission, well it scared him more than anything else.

He watched her leave, the door nearly slamming behind her with the force of her exit. And he watched her turn left back toward Merlyn Global.

Her request to come along wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Tommy had a sinking pit in his stomach for the last few weeks that told him that he wouldn’t be able to do this without Felicity. That she was in it now, just as much as he was, even if she didn’t have the connection to Oliver that he did.

Rubbing at his temples, Tommy let out a long breath and pushed his plate away. He leaned back in his chair, considering his options. He knew that Felicity would need information that she could only get by being there in Hong Kong. But the friendship they’d developed over the last couple of months made it that much harder to agree to bring her with him.

She was right; he knew that she was, even if he didn’t want to admit it. But every moment that ticked by left them further from Oliver’s trail. So Tommy would have to come to grips with it sooner rather than later. With a silent plea that he wouldn’t regret his decision, he pushed back from the table and dropped a few folded bills onto it before heading for the door.

Once outside, he followed swiftly the path he’d seen her take back to the office. He rounded the corner and could see her a block ahead of him; Tommy jogged the distance between them to catch up.

“Felicity!” he called, reaching for her arm to stop her. He watched as her entire body went tense at his touch, clearly not expecting him to come after her.

She turned and the expression on her face was deadly enough for Tommy to take a small step backwards.

“What do you want, Tommy?” she huffed, pulling out of his grasp. “You know I only get an hour for lunch and I can’t be late clocking back in. My manager will write me up.”

“I’ll take care of it if you are,” he said, and immediately regretted it.

“I should have never taken this job,” Felicity scoffed. “I knew this would happen.” She turned on her heel and headed for the building again.

This time when Tommy caught up with her he stood in her way. “Hey,” he said, forcing her to meet his eyes. “I just meant that I wanted to fix this before you went back in there. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have offered to talk to your manager.”

Felicity folded her arms across her chest, but didn’t make any effort to escape him. “I’m listening,” she said with a scowl.

He let out a sigh. He hadn’t really thought it through any further than going after her. “I should have been more receptive to your idea about coming with me to Hong Kong,” Tommy said finally. “It just caught me off guard, you know? After everything I went through there last time.” He reached for her arm, gently laying his hand there. “I just couldn’t ever forgive myself if something happened to you.”

Felicity smiled a little at that, and she took a small step toward him. “You need to find your friend,” she said, dropping her arms to her sides. Tommy’s hand slid down to take hold of hers. “And I want to be there for you,” she continued, darting a glance up at him.

It wasn’t the first moment that Tommy wondered if their friendship was laying the foundation for something more, but it was definitely a moment between them. And he wondered if the look in her eye meant she could feel it too. But the timing wasn’t right and if she was going to help him find Oliver, they needed to stay professional, clear headed and most importantly out of each other’s beds.

Tommy swallowed hard and nodded, letting their hands break apart. “Together,” he said, their eyes still locked.

“I guess I’ll have to get my passport renewed,” Felicity said with a smile. She linked her arm through Tommy’s and they walked back the rest of the way to MG together.

His father’s limousine was waiting outside when they got back to the building and Tommy wondered how he would be able to work around the issue of his father in order to get back to Hong Kong. After all, Malcolm had already told Tommy, in no uncertain terms, that his quest to find Oliver was frivolous and wouldn’t continue so long as he wanted to remain at the company and in his father’s good graces. No, he would have to find another way around the Hong Kong trip. And Tommy was sure that Felicity wouldn’t go for any sort of dating scenario in order to get it past his father.

“I know the vacation time is after a year,” Felicity said, pulling Tommy back out of his thoughts. “But any chance I can cash mine in a little early?”

Thankfully as he and Felicity entered the building, Malcolm was nowhere to be seen. 

“Oh so now you want special treatment?” He joked, earning him a playful smack on the arm. He followed her towards the elevator. “I think we’re gonna have to get creative on that front. Because I’m not even sure if I can talk my dad into my own vacation right now.”

“Well creative’s my middle name. Ok well technically it’s Meghan, but you get my point,” she smirked as they entered the elevator. She paused, and he could see the debate playing on her face. 

“Before you ask, no I can’t just tell him. One, he’d never believe me. Two, he’d probably fire you for helping me.” Tommy leaned back letting his frame rest against the back wall; there was no way his father would even listen to a sentence that contained Oliver’s name. “If only there was a business reason I would have to go to China, and take my very favorite IT specialist with me.”

He watched as the smile spread on her face. “That’s it.” And before she explained she already had her tablet out, typing feverishly across the screen. “Oh wow this is so easy, I almost feel bad doing it.” Then she hit another button and looked back to him in triumph. “All done.”

“As adorable as it is to watch you go all hacker girl, you wanna fill in some obviously missing details?”

“I may have lowered a few of MG’s defensive firewalls, specifically for their Hong Kong offices,” Felicity replied with a shrug. “Don’t worry it’s a ghost program. No sensitive details can be accessed from it. But it should be enough of a red flag for you to take to your father. Tell him that someone in IT,” she paused to point to herself. “Discovered the incredibly faulty firewall setup. And you would like to take said someone and personally oversee the new systems installation.”

“I’m not sure if I should be amazed or utterly terrified at your genius,” Tommy said, earning him a smile and a blush from Felicity. 

But she quickly recovered, meeting his eye. “Oh the answer is always both Merlyn, always.”

“Duly noted, Smoak.”

With a plan quickly formulating, Tommy and Felicity exited the elevator at the level for the IT department. Once the paperwork was printed up on the faulty firewalls, he could take it to his father. It should be just enough to get the two of them to Hong Kong.

\---

Sofia had been gracious enough to come to his apartment early in order to give Oliver a chance to stop in and see Anatoly before going to the club. The position wouldn’t be one that Oliver would have chosen, but things were different in the Bratva, he had more freedom here than he ever had with Waller. Plus it seemed like Anatoly realized that Oliver’s stay was short term, at least until he was able to track down Maseo and Tatsu to return Akio to them. He was sure the boy’s parents were going out of their minds looking for him, but every attempt Oliver had made to find them had come up empty. He was beginning to wonder if perhaps they hadn’t made it off the tarmac alive that day when they were all separated.

But for Akio’s sake, Oliver hoped that wasn’t the case.

They had spent the last two months in Moscow, living under Bratva protection as Oliver quickly ascended the ranks of the organization. All of his special skills seemed to be paying off, as he had most recently found himself as a Kryshas, an enforcer working at one of the Bratva’s front companies. It was interesting for him to see nightclubs from another point of view, even if being a bouncer wasn’t exactly high on his list of career options. Then again, joining the Russian mob hadn’t made the list either.

Oliver had already gotten Akio to sleep when Sofia arrived, knocking gently on the door to the small one bedroom apartment Anatoly had provided. Akio got the bed most nights and Oliver crashed on the sofa whenever he managed to get back home. He preferred to be in direct eyesight of the front door anyway, and he wanted Akio’s life in Moscow to be as normal as possible.

“Mr. Oliver,” Sofia said with a soft smile, reminding him of Raisa and the carefree days of his youth.

“Thank you again,” he said, handing her a few rubles for her trouble. “How is the English coming?”

Sofia blushed a little at that. “Not so good,” she said, her voice a little forced. “I still try.”

“You’re better than me with Russian,” Oliver answered, holstering a gun to his back before slipping on a jacket. “Spokoynoy nochi,” he said, as he headed to the door.

“And good night to you too,” Sofia said back.

Oliver closed the door behind him, making his way down the stairs of the second floor apartment and toward the restaurant up the street. Usually he would go straight to the club, but with another lead that hadn’t panned out, Oliver was running out of options to find Maseo and Tatsu. He hoped that Anatoly and some of his connections might be helpful, although Oliver had to continually remind himself to be careful of how much he ended up owing the Bratva. He’d learned first hand two months ago what it meant to be indebted to an organization like that. And Oliver had taught that lesson to some new poor, damned fool every single day since then.

Stepping into the restaurant where he and Akio had spent their first night in Moscow, Oliver no longer waited for Sokolov or anyone else to tell him that Anatoly would see him. He headed straight through the kitchen and to the room where Anatoly and Mikhail seemed to spend the majority of their time.

With a quick knock, he entered, finding Anatoly alone.

“Mr. Queen,” the man smiled brightly. “Have you come with news?”

Oliver closed the door behind him. With a shake of his head he moved further into the room. “I apologize for the inconvenience we’ve made on you here. I thought by now I would have found something to point me in the right direction. But I keep coming up empty.”

“Sit,” Anatoly instructed, pouring a shot of vodka and pushing it towards him. Oliver knew better than to refuse the man, so he did, lifting the glass just as Anatoly added. “Prochnost.”

“Prochnost,” Oliver parroted before downing his drink. 

“You’re Russian still rusty. You have not learned what this means, why we toast ‘prochnost’ before we drink,” he said leaning back in his chair. 

Even if he had no reason to lie, the excuses still formed on his tongue. “I’ve been a little busy to keep up with Russian studies.”

“It means strength,” Anatoly supplied, pouring another shot for them both. “The power to endure when it would be easier to give up and give in. It’s not Bratva tradition, but a Knyazev one. What about you? Any family traditions you still hold to?”

“I didn’t come here to talk about me.”

“Ah yes. We speak often Oliver, but never about you,” his smile faded as he watched Oliver. “You cannot stay a mystery forever.”

He chose to ignore Anatoly’s last comment as he continued. “I wanted to ask if you could look into things from a higher place. There’s only so much I can do with what I know.”

“You trust me enough to come to me?” Anatoly questioned, folding his hands in front of him. “Because we both know you do not give that trust easily.”

“Trusting in someone and trusting in what they can do for you are different,” Oliver replied. “You know what I went through in Hong Kong.”

“I know what little you’ve told me. Vague mentions of an organization you worked for, which is why you are not terrible with a gun.”

Oliver smiled a little, despite himself, but then sobered quickly. “They have ways of making it so Akio’s parents can’t be found. And I’m not talking about death. These people can erase identities. Take every option of running away from them.” Oliver paused, making sure to choose his words carefully. “I know Maseo and Tatsu. There is nothing that would keep them from their son.”

“And if it was not enough, if they did not get to safety? What will you do with the boy?” He knew what the man was doing, gauging his commitments to Akio, to the Bratva, to himself. 

“I made a vow to protect him,” Oliver answered plainly. “That is not going to change.”

“You also made a vow to me,” Anatoly said as he leaned closer. “You forced my hand, letting you into our brotherhood. Made soldiers question my strength as Pakhan, that an American could manipulate himself into our ranks. Even my own brother questioned my loyalty.”

“Anato--”

“Stop, I know you had no other options. You are an honorable man Oliver, even if you do not see it in yourself,” the man smiled again picking up his shot. “But you did make a vow to the Bratva, one you cannot just use when you feel the need for it.”

“You won’t help.” 

“I did not say that. But it will cost,” Anatoly pulled an envelope from his jacket, sliding it across the table. “You work at the club tonight yes?”

“I was headed there after I talk to you,” Oliver replied, slipping the small paper from the envelope just enough to read it. He was beginning to wish he hadn’t come down to talk to Anatoly at all.  
“Are you sure he will be there tonight?”

“Yes, Ivan says he likes to spend his nights off watching the girls,” the man’s face contorted in disgust. “You will eliminate him before your shift is done. Then we talk about a more extensive search for the boy’s parents.”

Oliver nodded, his face a mask of stone. He’d done it before, on the island, for Waller, once for his sister, hell even a couple times since arriving in Russia. But that didn’t make it right. Every life he took sat with him, like a heavy stone tied to his soul, dragging him further from who he used to be. 

“Why now?” Not that he had a particular fondness for the person, but he still felt inclined to ask. 

“Because he thought he could steal from brothers and get away with it,” Anatoly replied. “Sokolov has been digging his own grave for years, it was just a matter of time until it caught up with him.”

Oliver stood, taking his glass and downing the liquid. He would need it tonight. Perhaps the entire bottle, once the job was done. Though he suspected there wasn’t enough liquor in the world to chase away the ghosts he was continually creating.

\---

“I have to say Miss Smoak, I am impressed,” Malcolm Merlyn said as he looked over the file she handed him. “You’ve been with us two months and you’re already leagues ahead of my private tech security.”

Felicity tried her best not to look intimidated, but there was something about her boss that really made her uneasy. She assumed it was that whole money and power thing. At least she had Tommy here to back her up. 

“Well Mr. Merlyn, I’m just glad I caught it before any sensitive material was lost,” she replied, trying not to rock back on her heels. “It won’t take too long to set up the new system, and backup a few more firewalls.”

“I suppose you will want to see to this personally?” 

“I would be remiss if I didn’t, sir,” she answered, meeting his eyes cautiously. “But of course that is entirely up to you. I mean I’m sure you have great people working in the Hong Kong office. It’s probably just an oversight that I caught, but it should be handled soon either way.” Felicity stopped, taking a breath. She didn’t want to babble too much. Hopefully she’d caught herself before she’d gotten carried away.

Malcolm Merlyn leaned back in his desk chair, looking between Felicity and Tommy. She wondered how much he knew about her relationship with Tommy. If his father knew about their movie nights, if he’d seen them together in the office, if he had any idea that Tommy had told her about the job to begin with.

“I don’t disagree that it should be dealt with swiftly,” Malcolm said, closing the file and setting it on his desk. “I would prefer to handle it remotely as to not lose such valuable talent from our largest office here,” he continued, still seeming a bit unsure of his decision. “But sending you will undoubtedly make the Hong Kong office more efficient if for no other reason than that they will learn before your arrival that you answer directly to me.” He paused a moment, his eyes sparking with something as he turned his glance to his son. “On second thought, perhaps sending a Merlyn will be better for business,” he said with a nod. “You two have come to me with this together. You should see it through together.”

Felicity smiled politely. “Thank you for this amazing opportunity, Mr. Merlyn.”

Malcolm returned her smile. “That will be all Miss Smoak. Make the preparations for the two of you to leave at the beginning of the week.”

She turned to leave, but Tommy hung back. She offered him a quick wink on her way out the door. Felicity heard Tommy approach his father as the door swung shut behind her, but she couldn’t make out what he had said.

The plan had worked better than they’d expected though, which was something to be grateful for. She hadn’t been sure Malcolm would be on board with either of them going, let alone together. She was sure it was a job for someone much higher up in the company than she was; but maybe that’s why Tommy was coming along. Earlier, the pair had made a plan to talk Malcolm into letting them go together, but she was grateful that he’d come up with the idea on his own. The less they had to talk Malcolm into now, the more freedom they’d have in Hong Kong following Oliver’s trail.

She made her way back down to the IT Department, her mind bouncing between making a mental list of everything she would have to pack for the trip and wondering about Oliver. It was hard not to, especially now. She was far too intrigued by him, curious about what made him tick, about why he would vanish, without a trace, of his own volition. Something about the whole thing just struck a nerve with her, making her mind run in overdrive at the possibilities. It was no wonder Tommy was so adamant about finding out the truth about his friend-- Felicity had never met the guy and she needed to know the whats and whys and hows of it all.

The elevator doors opened to the IT department and she shook Oliver out of her thoughts. She had a more immediate need for a packing list. It wouldn’t just be clothes and toiletries-- this was a far cry from a vacation. Malcolm would no doubt supply her with whatever she would need to update the security systems at the Merlyn Global Hong Kong building, but any of the searches they did for Oliver while they were there couldn’t lead back to the company. She would have to pack her computer as well as set up some ghost servers to ping off of so that no one could trace anything back to her.

Taking a seat at her desk, Felicity turned her mental list to pen and paper, jotting down computer equipment she might not have access to in Hong Kong. When she felt that the list was complete, she fired up her computer, planning out the itinerary for their trip. She had just pulled a corporate credit card out of her wallet to book two plane tickets when a voice stopped her.

“As a general rule, Merlyn’s don’t fly commercial,” Tommy said, a grin on his face. He stopped at her desk, leaning against the end of it and crossing his ankles.

“Well excuse me,” Felicity said, setting the credit card down on the desk. “I thought I was the one making the arrangements?”

Tommy scrunched his nose. “You can arrange everything else,” he answered. “But we’re taking the jet.”

“So bossy,” she countered, turning her chair toward him a bit, her foot tapped his leg. “So, can you believe your father suggested that you come along? What a plan, huh?”

“I was just as surprised as you,” Tommy said, leaning back a little on the desk. “Although I may have gotten a lecture from him after you left about interoffice dating.”

“No!” Felicity exclaimed with a gasp. “He didn’t!”

Tommy groaned. “This is a business trip, son,” he said, imitating his father. “I am sure you will keep things professional while you are away.”

Felicity felt herself blush. Sure, she’d daydreamed once or twice about her and Tommy. But their friendship had gone beyond any sort of casual hookup place and she knew Tommy Merlyn better than to expect any sort of relationship from him. But hearing him say it out loud was something altogether different.

“I think we can manage that,” she replied, unable to meet his eyes.

“I agree,” Tommy said, clearing his throat and removing himself from her desk. “So, movie night at my place, right? We can figure out the logistics of the trip and our next move in tracking down my elusive best friend.”

Felicity nodded, spinning back around in her chair. “Sounds good.” She pulled up a couple windows on the computer screen. “What do you think about this place?” she asked, in regards to a hotel she’d found that looked good.

Tommy moved so he was standing behind her, looking over her shoulder and leaning on the back of her chair. “I lied,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What?” she asked, her brow knitting together as she glanced at him over her shoulder. “What did you lie about?”

“I promise I’ll let you pick the restaurants?” he said, a sheepish smile on his face.

“What’s wrong with this hotel?” she countered. “It seems great. Awesome reviews, it’s close to the MG building.”

“Nothing is wrong with it. It’s just that if you want to really experience Hong Kong, you have to stay,” he leaned over her, his face just inches from hers as he took command of her keyboard, pulling up another page. “Here,” he finished.

Felicity pushed his hands off the keyboard. “Fine,” she sighed. “We’ll stay there.”

Tommy pulled back, standing behind her again and she turned in her seat to face him. “And if you ever touch my computer again, there will be consequences.”

Tommy grinned. “Noted.”

Felicity’s supervisor, Phil, came in through the doors and glanced their direction. His face seemed less than amused at her having a visitor in her cubicle, but when he noticed who her visitor was, he quickly plastered a smile on his face.

“Felicity, Mr. Merlyn,” Phil said with a nod.

“It’s Tommy, please,” the man in question answered. “Miss Smoak was just working on an itinerary for an upcoming business trip to Hong Kong. I’m not sure if you heard about the security breach she found there, but I hope that in her absence the other offices will be looked into as well.”

“Yes sir,” Phil said, looking uncomfortable.

“I’ll be leaving Monday,” Felicity said. “I am sure you already have the approval from Mr. Merlyn… the other one, not this one… in your inbox as we speak.”

Phil gave Felicity a tight smile. “Safe travels,” he said through nearly gritted teeth. “I will go file those approvals with payroll and HR right now.” And then he disappeared.

Felicity cleared her throat, her attention going back to Tommy. “You are horrible,” she said, trying to hide the smile from her face and failing miserably. “I’m pretty sure I saw half his head go grey from standing here talking to you.”

Tommy grinned. “What’s the point in being the son of the CEO if I can’t flaunt it a bit? Besides, none of these guys have half the talent you do.”

“Alright, can you go be the son of the CEO somewhere else for a while?” she asked. “I’ve got some work I have to finish up here if we’re going to China next week.” she paused, felt herself go giddy and then met Tommy’s eyes again. “We’re going to China next week,” she repeated. “I’ve never been to China. Is it okay if I’m excited? I mean I know we are going there for business… and for other business… but it’s okay to be excited, right?”

Tommy was headed for the door, but stopped before going through it and turned back. “Yeah,” he said with a smile. “I think it’s okay to be excited.”

But there was something in the tone of his voice, in the way the smile didn’t completely reach his eyes, that made her wonder otherwise.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Boy do we have a great chapter for you. I hope you guys are as excited for this week at we are. Thank you for all your support. It means the world to us.  
> Let's get going

Tommy had seen looks of wonder and excitement on a woman’s face before upon entering a private jet for the first time, but none of them compared to the gasp and squeal from Felicity as she stepped up into the cabin.  None of those women compared to Felicity in any other way either-- but Tommy could scarcely let himself think about that.  This was a business arrangement, through and through.  He had to keep it professional, for Felicity’s sake.

“This is amazing!” she exclaimed, walking through the cabin to look over every inch of the space.  “So this is what you use on vacations and stuff?”

Tommy nodded, leaning against the frame that separated the cabin from the cockpit with his arm up over his head as he watched her.  “I don’t do a ton of vacationing anymore,” he answered.  “Too many grown up responsibilities since I met you.”

Felicity shot him a mocking glare.  “Don’t you dare blame your lack of fun on me,” she retorted, claiming a spot on one of the green ‘L’ shaped couches.

“Oh I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied taking a seat next to her. He was careful to leave a bit if space between them.  “So what’s on the agenda for the flight? And don’t even try to convince me you don’t have the entire flight planned out down to the second with something you’ve been dying to marathon.”

She scoffed crossing her arms. “Am I that pathetically predictable?”

“I prefer to think of it as a charming quality,” he countered with a smirk. “And I truly doubt there is anything pathetic about you.”

“You should see my old yearbook photos,” she turned until she faced him more. “And no I will not actually show you them.”

“Photo tease.”

They both laughed as Felicity pulled her laptop from her bag. “I actually thought now would be a good time to go over our plan for when we get there.”

Tommy put his arm behind her on the back of the sofa, watching as she pulled the information up on the screen.

“I’m sure we won’t be able to drag out the trip for long, so we are going to have to make use of every spare moment we have away from the office,” Felicity continued.  “Once we touch down I can tap into the available security feeds that I was having trouble accessing from the US.  It might be a little risky, but if I cover my tracks well enough-- which I always do-- we should be fine.”

“Fine as in, the authorities won’t track us down and throw us in jail?” Tommy questioned.

“Something like that,” Felicity answered.  “You know, espionage, government tampering, that sort of fun stuff.”

For the first time, it really began to sink in for Tommy-- what she was risking to help him find Oliver.  Crimes that were probably punishable by death in half the countries in the world, this woman wasn’t batting an eyelash at for the sake of helping him.  

 “Anyone ever tell you that you’re amazingly badass?” he smiled before clearing his throat. “Because if not they seriously should. I mean I’m considering getting you a plaque made.”

She shook her head with a grin. “Amazingly badass?” she repeated.  “I mean generally people just refer to me as Queen of the Interwebs.  Or Overlord.  Really I’m good with either one.”

“Overlord huh? Should I be concerned?”

“When there’s a keyboard in front of me, Merlyn, you should be terrified.” She leveled him with a look but couldn’t contain the giggles that slipped out. “Okay let’s get down to business. The flight is only about 14 hours.”

Tommy moved closer, his side bumping against hers. But if Felicity minded she didn’t voice it, just smiled as she pointed to more things on her screen. Yep keeping things professional. That was gonna be so easy.

“Business,” Tommy repeated, forcing his eyes to the screen and away from her face which was still flushed from her giggling.  “Show me what you’ve got.”

Felicity nodded, pulling up the itinerary she’d already made up.  “I’m probably going to be stuck at the office most of the time, so any leads I come up with you may have to track down solo.  Places where Oliver has shown up on security footage, people he may have come into contact with, that sort of thing.  I hope you enjoy detective work.”

He hadn’t really considered it before, but if it meant finding Oliver, or learning anything more about where his friend might be, Tommy was willing to give it a try.  “So long as you can supply me with the information I need or the questions I should ask.”

Felicity grinned, reaching into her bag again and held out a box to him.  “Just because I’ll be in the office doesn’t mean I won’t be able to help you out,” she said, lifting the lid to reveal the contents inside.

“Are those--”

“Military grade comms, yeah,” she answered.  “I figured it would be a good thing to invest in, just in case you need me when I’m at Merlyn Global Hong Kong.  MGHK?”  Felicity grinned.  “I like saying that, MGHK.”

Tommy had to laugh.  How she could switch from badass computer hacker to innocent geeky girl in 2.5 seconds would probably always amaze him.

“I might have to give that Overlord thing another go,” Tommy said, bowing his head slightly as he took the box of comms from her hand.  “You certainly seem to have thought of everything.”

“Speaking of thinking of everything,” Felicity said, her voice going a bit somber.

“Hmm?” Tommy questioned.

Felicity turned to face him a little bit.  “I looked into our hotel accommodations, at that place you told me we just had to stay at?”

“Yep,” he said, pulling one of the comms from the box and fitting it into his ear to test it out.

She hesitated a moment before asking, “Why did you only book a single room?”

\---

They were surrounding him. Blood covered hands clasping his wrists, bruising him with unparalleled strength. There were too many to fight off. And they kept coming out of the dark. Some soaking wet, with blood or water he couldn’t tell but he could hear dripping on the floor in a rhythmic pattern. Others, he could only tell were there by the sounds of their bones cracking over and over again, louder with each step they took toward him.

Oliver couldn’t breathe any longer, and looking down he saw why. An arm was through his chest, piercing his lung, as his own blood spilled out through torn flesh. He looked up to see who’d done this to him, who had delivered the final death blow, startled when he met blue eyes. His eyes.

“Oliver, wake up!”

He practically jumped from the couch, his breath coming in ragged gasps. But at least it was there, at least he was alive. He looked over, meeting Akio’s worried gaze.

“Hey, buddy. What are you doing up so late?” He ran a hand through his hair with a yawn.

“It’s morning,” Akio replied, moving to sit on the other end of the couch. “Were you having a bad dream?”

He wouldn’t, couldn’t tell Akio the details. How anytime he took a person’s life it added to the growing list of those who attacked him while he slept. But he couldn’t fully lie to the kid either. “Yeah, I was.”

“My mom used to make me cocoa when I had a bad dream,” Akio said, his face growing solemn. “I could make you a cup.”

“That’d be wonderful,” he smiled, watching Akio head to the kitchen area. Rubbing his hands across his growing beard, Oliver stood from the couch and stretched, letting out a sigh. He hated it. The first few days after a hit were the hardest, waking in cold sweats, sometimes wishing he had never woken at all. If this was what he had to do to survive, to keep Akio safe, shouldn’t it feel worth it? Some days it did, others it felt like Akio would be safer anywhere that was far away from him.

Oliver followed Akio to the kitchen, watching as the boy stood on his tip toes to pull a mug from the cabinet near the sink.  Akio set the mug on the counter and began searching the cabinets.

“Oliver do we have cocoa?” he asked, turning back with a furrowed brow.

Oliver frowned.  He wasn't used to this having a kid thing. He wasn't used to buying groceries and looking out for the well-being of someone other than himself. It was about more than survival now. He wanted to make sure Akio wasn't completely miserable until Oliver was able to return him to his parents.

“I’m not sure, let’s check,” Oliver answered, pulling open cabinets one at a time.  “If not we can get some at the store next time we go.”

Akio nodded, but his face had already fallen.  Oliver could only imagine what the boy was thinking.  Probably something along the lines of ‘Mom always has cocoa’ or ‘I’m tired of living with this crazy American who took me away from my parents.’  Oliver cut off that line of thinking before it could get any further.  He had saved Akio when he’d taken him out of Hong Kong.  He couldn’t continually beat himself up over it.  Besides, now that Sokolov was taken care of, Anatoly had promised Oliver that he’d look into the Yamashiros’ whereabouts.

“Can we also go do something?” Akio asked, looking up at Oliver timidly. “The cartoons here are boring. And we never go do stuff.”

Oliver hesitated, as he leaned against the countertop. He had kept Akio cooped up since they got to Russia, but that had more to do with fear of ARGUS tracking them down. They’d been there two months, and not a whisper had been heard of Waller. Maybe it would be okay if they went out for a while. And he could probably ask Anatoly for some backup just in case.

“Where would you want to go?” Oliver smiled when the boy triumphantly pulled down a box of cocoa from the cupboard.

“The Moscow Zoo Dolphinarium,” he replied with a grin. “Sofia was telling me about it. She says she takes her little sister there every weekend, and that it’s one of the coolest places in all of Russia.”

“Ah I see, you’ve already done recon?”

He nodded. “Can we go? Please?”

He wanted Akio to be happy, or as happy as the kid could be worlds away from home. Under the circumstances, there was only one thing Oliver felt like he could say.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh, watching as Akio’s eyes lit up.  “We can go.”

Akio pummeled into Oliver’s side, hugging him tightly around the middle.  Oliver grunted at the impact but didn’t back away.  After all, wasn’t this why he was involving himself in the Bratva?  To keep Akio safe and happy until he could be returned to his parents?

“Maybe Sofia and her sister might want to come?” Akio questioned, releasing Oliver as he pulled back. “She said her sister is my age.  Ana.”

Oliver wasn't sure if he should agree to letting the girls come along.  After all, he was having a hard enough time keeping himself and Akio safe and out of trouble.  He didn’t need to be adding two more lives on top of that.  But after his last talk with Anatoly, Oliver was fairly convinced that ARGUS hadn’t tracked them to Russia yet.  Maybe some time out of the apartment with some new and friendly faces was just what he and Akio needed.

 

Oliver pulled his cell phone from his pocket and offered it to Akio.  “Do you want to call and ask?” he asked.  “It was your idea after all.”

Akio grinned, reaching for the phone.  Oliver typed the passcode in to unlock it and handed the phone over, letting Akio search for Sofia’s name and call her.

Oliver slipped into the bathroom as Akio began chattering in the kitchen.  He needed a shower, hoping the hot water would rid some of the tension he seemed to be storing in his shoulders and neck.  This life on the run thing would be the death of him, one way or another.  Oliver was nearly sure of it.

\---

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice the room sharing?” Felicity questioned as they dropped their bags on the floor.

Tommy had dodged her questions throughout the entire flight, telling her it must have been a computer error, and they’d fix it once they got to Hong Kong, except when they got there they headed straight for the room.

“Okay you might be mad, or annoyed, but I have a logical explanation for this,” he replied, taking a seat on the the couch. Because of course Tommy booked the most expensive room, in the most expensive hotel. But he couldn’t bother to book two of them.

“That explanation better cover the part where your father already thinks this trip is more than business, so why would you not book us separate rooms?” She crossed her arms to add to the effect, just in case he didn’t find her argument particularly intimidating.

“Okay we’re dealing with things beyond either of our realms of knowledge,” Tommy said, folding his hands in his lap.  “I don’t know what we’re gonna find, but I do know that I told you I wasn’t letting you out of my sight. Consider that a promise to get you home safe. So if that means that I have to field inappropriate conversations with my dad, then I will. Because finding Oliver isn’t worth you getting hurt in the process, okay?”

“You make a compelling argument,” she relented after a minute, falling into the open spot next to him. She sighed, looking at him. “But I’m fully capable of taking care of myself. If you don’t believe me, give me three minutes and my computer screen. You’ll be begging to surrender.”

“Yes we have established you are a hacking goddess,” Tommy replied, shaking his head. “But I’m afraid that emptying bank accounts and putting people on the no fly list won’t be enough for whatever Ollie’s gotten himself into. Look you can even take the bed, I’ll sleep here.”

Felicity craned her head looking around the room, then smacked him hard in the arm.  “Oh my god, you didn’t even book a room with two beds!”

“It’s all they had available.”

“Yeah, I so believe that,” she rolled her eyes with a huff. “Fine, we can share a room. But I swear to you, if you snore, I will not be held accountable for my actions.”

“I’ll say you are the first pretty girl to turn down sharing a hotel room with me.” He grinned.

She shook her head, but smiled. “You ever turn off that Merlyn charm?”  

“God, no. It’s the only good thing I got from my father,” He shifted until he faced her. “We have a few hours until we have to get to MGHK. Do you need help setting up your computers?”

She smirked at him with a confused look. Because was he really serious? She didn’t even let her boss touch a computer she deemed as hers. But then Tommy laughed.

“That was a joke, I wouldn’t dream of messing with your precious babies,” he said, reaching behind her to grab the phone. “I’m gonna order us some room service.”

He was close, really close, and Felicity had to shake off the thoughts coursing through her head. The thoughts that could potentially push her into closing the gap between them. Because this was not that. She and Tommy were friends. Albeit their friendship had grown in the strangest way, but that didn’t make it less real. And it’s not like he would ever see her as more than that. Nope, Felicity really had to stop potentially crushing on unavailable billionaires. First the not so dead Oliver, and now his very kind, very sweet best friend. It didn’t matter though, Tommy was out of her space a second later, like it hadn’t happened at all.

Until he looked at her. “You okay?”

“Yeah, good,” she nodded, trying to sound casual. Because apparently after you realize that your very attractive friend looks like he might be really good at kissing, it’s kind of hard to focus on anything else. “I’m gonna set up the computer stuff on the desk. Over there.”

He smiled in reply. “You want dim sum?”

“Sure,” she said, forcing her brain back on the task at hand. And as soon as she’d stopped looking at Tommy, she was able to find her groove.

She removed the equipment slowly, double checking that she brought all the components she needed, not that she hadn’t packed back ups too. And then moved to setting up her space. Connecting cords to monitors, and making sure not to overload any one circuit with too much. Once she finished the setup, she was able to start on the real hard work. Repositioning a satellite (only a few inches to the right), sending her IP through a few ghost accounts, then covering her tracks with an NSA level encryption, and finally hacking into the local police and traffic cams. She checked the time with a wide grin. Twenty-six minutes, a new personal record.

A knock sounded on the door, pulling Felicity’s attention away from her computer and the vast network of traffic cams that she’d already begun searching for any sign of Oliver.  Tommy made his way to the door, which she couldn’t see from where she sat, but she assumed it was the food he’d ordered.  Sure enough, a moment later the smell of dim sum wafted through the air and Felicity’s stomach growled with anticipation.  She felt herself blush and was instantly relieved that Tommy hadn’t heard it.

“Head in the game, Smoak,” she chided herself under her breath.

“So, time for a refuel break?” Tommy asked with an easy smile as he came back into the room with their food.

Felicity nodded, clearing a small space on the end of the desk she’d claimed in order for him to set the food down.  “Yes please.”

“I have to say,” Tommy said, pulling a container out of the bag.  “I’ve never seen someone quite as intense as you when it comes to technology,” he said, a short laugh escaping his lips.  “I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I could have been doing that would have pulled your focus from that thing.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Felicity said absently, her brain immediately reverting back to her earlier line of thinking, even though she knew it was a terrible idea.

“Really?” Tommy countered.

Felicity blinked, focusing on him.  “Did I just say that out loud?”

“That depends,” he replied, handing her a container of dim sum and a pair of chopsticks.  “What is it you think you said?”

He had that flirty smile again, the one that made her think twice about all of the women that had come before her.  So instead of replying, she pulled the lid off of her food and savored her first bite of Chinese food in China.

The ate in silence after that, okay not total silence. Because Tommy could talk Felicity under a table when he really felt like it. So for Felicity’s part, there was mostly silence.  He told her stories about his childhood. How for the longest time it had been him and Oliver against the world. That his best friend had always been the brother he’d never had.

“What about you? Any siblings in the Smoak household?” Tommy questioned.

Felicity met his eyes, setting her empty container down. “Nope just me.”

Tommy stretched in the seat he’d pulled up to her workspace. “That much of a terror your parents didn’t even try for a second?”

“Hardly,” she responded.  “More like, they knew they couldn’t improve on the perfection that was their daughter.”  She grinned, flashing him a bright smile.

Her computer pinged on the other side of her, pulling her attention away from Tommy.

“What’s that?” he asked, leaning in to look over her shoulder.

She’d started a facial recognition scan before the food arrived and it seemed to have caught something.  But it was old-- the archives of some building downtown from the looks of it.  “It’s Oliver, I think,” she said, squinting.  “He was at a club with this guy.”  Felicity pointed to the screen where she was enhancing a grainy image of the man fleeing down a back alley with Oliver.

“Any way you can make it look less like tv static?” Tommy asked.

Felicity rolled her eyes.  “What will it take to impress you?” she asked, typing commands into the keyboard and watching with pride as the photo came together, enhancing until the man was more than a grainy blur.

Tommy frowned.  “So we’re looking for a man with dark hair and no name, in a city with a population that's over 7 million?” he sighed.  “Sounds easy enough.” He leaned back stretching his legs out until his foot tapped Felicity’s.  “Earth to Felicity?” he said.

She heard him but didn’t respond, still working to find out more about the man with Oliver.  So far she’d found a few other hits on the facial recognition, along with absolutely nothing else.  There was no government identification, no mug shots, no nothing.

“The man is a ghost,” she said, her voice betraying her frustration.  “How is that even-- ohhh, someone is good.  Very good.”

“I’m not certain what we’re looking at here,” Tommy said, his voice closer than before. She turned her head slightly to find Tommy, standing next to her, his hands resting on the back of her chair.

“Well,” Felicity said, pointing to a few of the search windows she had running. “These are two different facial recognition searches the Chinese government uses to track foreign and domestic threats. They catalog the face, then run them through things like the Passport agency or resident identification numbers. Mostly to keep an eye on things. But when I ran a search on our mystery man’s face nothing came up. No ID, no passport, not even a yearbook photo.”

“Okay maybe he’s not from around here.”

“The system’s designed to hit every major government database in the world. He should show up somewhere,” Felicity groaned, before turning back to her keyboard. “Someone did an impressive job wiping noname from the face of the planet. And I do not use the word impressive often.”

“How are we gonna find someone who apparently doesn’t exist?” Tommy asked reclaiming his seat.

“Everything done online can be traced. Just because someone very clever decided to wipe this guy from the web, doesn’t mean we can’t find him,” she replied turning her chair with a smirk. “Especially since he’s still in the city.”

\---

Crowds were always a bit of a catch 22.  On the one hand, crowds had helped Oliver and Akio disappear out from under ARGUS while they had been in Hong Kong.  On the other hand, crowds made it more difficult to see threats coming.  It was part of the reason why Oliver was always on high alert- especially if he and Akio went out anywhere.

The zoo was packed, reminding Oliver of the time Robert and Moira brought him and Thea to Disneyland.  Thea had been so small- maybe two or three years old, and the crowds had been so dense that Moira had nearly handcuffed herself to Oliver the couple of days they were there.  Oliver hadn’t understood the mentality then, but now with Akio, he could see it.

“Oliver look!” Akio said, pointing to an enclosure with sea lions and tugging on Oliver’s shirt sleeve.

Oliver was trying to keep a look out for the girls, but Akio was too excited and kept nearly wandering off every time he saw something new and interesting.  “Slow down, Akio,” Oliver said, his eyes never leaving the boy.

“They are Ana’s favorite too.”

Oliver turned at the sound of Sofia’s voice, noticing the two men that were with her and her sister.  It seemed he didn’t have much to worry about in that respect after all.  It made sense that Sofia and Ana didn’t go anywhere without bodyguards, although it made Oliver curious about how she’d come to be alone at the docks the night they’d met.

Ana looked a lot like her older sister, with same dark hair, small nose and lively green eyes.

“Ana,” Sofia called, and then spoke to the girl in Russian.

Ana came to stand in front of Oliver with a bright smile.  “Hello Mr. Oliver,” she said, her English even clearer than her sister’s.  “Thank you for bringing Akio today,” she said, before jogging off to join Akio at the wall of the sea lion exhibit.

“Does she study English?” Oliver asked, gesturing to Sofia’s sister.

Sofia nodded.  “Anatoly learns her.”

“He teaches her,” Oliver corrected.

“He teaches her, yes,” Sofia said, blushing a little.  “She asks always for more English words.”

They headed after the kids, who were walking toward a new exhibit featuring turtles.  Oliver kept himself acutely aware of their surroundings on instinct alone, even if they had bodyguards with them.  One of them, Ivan, he thought the man’s name was, seemed to pay special attention to Sofia.  His eyes followed her everywhere she went.  Oliver was curious about the pair, recalling the night they docked in Moscow.  Ivan had seemed overly worked up.  At the time Oliver suspected it was just about whatever they’d smuggled in, but perhaps it was more about Sofia’s well-being than anything else.

Was it possible he was the man she’d come to the port to see?

As if on cue, Ivan approached them.  He and Sofia slowed their pace as Ivan whispered low in her ear.  Oliver watched from the corner of his eye as she nodded in agreement before catching up with Oliver.

“Do you think you could watch Ana for a moment?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Ivan.  “Yury will stay with her as well.”

Oliver kept his face neutral and his eyes on Akio and Ana who seemed to be getting along well.  They were leaning in close to each other, pointing and giggling about the turtles.  When Sofia looked back at Oliver, he nodded.  “Take your time,” he said.  “You can meet us at the show.  I’m sure Akio will want to sit in the front.”

Her blush deepened, clearly realizing that Oliver had put the pieces together.  Oliver had a feeling that her elusiveness probably had to do with her father’s lack of approval or knowledge of her relationship with Ivan.  More drama that Oliver didn’t want to be included in.

“Thank you, Oliver,” she said, giving his arm a gentle squeeze before turning back and grabbing Ivan’s hand as they disappeared into an ‘employee’s only’ area.

Oliver rolled his eyes, finding Akio and Ana again in the crowd. They hadn’t gotten far, but it was further than he wanted to be from them.  Even if Yury was watching them too, as Sofia had mentioned, Oliver had learned that it was impossible to be too careful with people like ARGUS were after them.  Catching the rest of the way up with the kids, Oliver steered them in the direction of the show, which would be starting in a few minutes.

“We should probably find some seats,” Oliver said, as another pang of nostalgia hit him.  Thea would have loved a place like this.  She’d gotten so big when he’d seen her last in Starling.  Fifteen years old and so ready to grow up.  She should have been able to stay a kid longer without losing her father and brother to some conspiracy cooked up by the people in their father’s book.  He made himself a mental note to take Thea to an aquarium when he got back to Starling, even if she told him she was too old for it.

“If you sit in the front row, the dolphins will splash you when they jump out of the water,” Ana giggled.  

“Come on!” Akio said, grabbing her hand and racing for the open seats in the front row.

Oliver wasn’t much on the idea of being soaked with salt water. He’d had about his fill of that feeling for his lifetime, but he trailed after them, taking a seat on the wet bench beside Akio.  Yury took up residence on the other side of the kids, looking about as thrilled as Oliver felt.

The show got started as three trainers with mic’s came out onto the stage connected to the tank.  They greeted everyone with loud booming voices and Ana leaned in toward Akio, translating for him.

Oliver continued to scan the crowd for Sofia, but even as the audience quieted, she didn’t show.  He was beginning to worry, even if she had Ivan with her.  There was still a lot that could go wrong, especially in compromising positions when one was caught off guard.  Yury seemed content though, which calmed Oliver’s nerves slightly.  He wondered if this was a habit for them-- to sneak off together under the ruse of Sofia taking her sister to the aquarium.

“She won’t be here,” Ana said, tugging on Oliver’s shirt to gain his attention.  

He glanced back at the girl, tilting his head to the side.  “Who?” he asked, playing dumb.

“Sofia,” Ana said, rolling her eyes.  “I know you’re looking for her.  But she won’t be back until we go for chocolates.”

“This happens a lot?” Oliver asked with a sigh.  He really didn’t want to be caught up in more drama, but it seemed unavoidable with Sofia.

“Not always, but sometimes,” Ana said, her voice holding more frankness than her age would suggest.  The dolphins began swimming around in the glass-sided tank in front of them and Ana’s attention was fixated on watching them.

As far as information went, Oliver was glad to know what he was getting himself into, even if he’d rather not be mixed up in it.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a super quick note. We are LOVING all of your feedback! Every kudos, reblog on tumblr and comment left on this story give us so much more inspiration to keep going. Thank you all. We are eternally grateful for your support.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Tommy questioned, touching the comm in his ear again. It’s not that he really could feel it, but he kept assuming others could see it. Currently he was seated at a cafe waiting for their mystery man to show up, who Felicity had code named, Nobody. Apparently the Odyssey was one of her favorite books. According to her extensive recon, Nobody worked here. 

“Technically this was your idea,” Felicity’s voice replied. “Also stop touching the comm. It’s gonna draw more attention than you want. Just act natural.”

Tommy’s hand dropped from his ear and he let out a sigh. This looked so much easier in the movies. “Easy for you to say, you’re behind a computer screen, sipping a latte,” Tommy replied, his own hands gripping his coffee tightly. “I’m starting to regret this go-it-alone approach.”

Felicity huffed and he could almost see her rolling her eyes, which helped lighten his anxiety a little. She had a calming effect on him, not that he’d let her know that. Their friendship was uncharted waters for him. He’d never had a woman who was just a friend before. If he stretched the meaning of the word ‘friend’ he could maybe count Laurel and Sara back in school, but he hadn’t been that close to either of the Lance girls. After Oliver and Sara were lost on the Gambit, Tommy and Laurel had drifted together a little more, but he still wasn’t sure he’d classify them as friends. Even still, Felicity was different. He couldn’t really pinpoint why, but she compelled more out of him. Always pushing past his walls, with little to no effort at all. He just wanted to tell her things, all the time. 

“Tommy,” her voice cut into his thoughts and he refocused back on the mission at hand. 

“Yep?” he murmured. He had to keep reminding himself not to reply too loud. Nothing worse than looking like a crazy man talking to yourself.

“Just relax,” Felicity said. “This will be a piece of cake. All you are doing is approaching him--”

“And asking him if he knows anything about my missing best friend who is presumed dead.”

“Whoa there, Merlyn,” she laughed a little. “We practiced this a hundred times this morning. You’re going to ask him about--”

“About the club he and Ollie were last seen at, I know,” Tommy said, realizing his leg was shaking under the table. He forced it to a stop by rubbing the sweat off his hand onto his pants. “What if he doesn’t speak any English?”

“Then Oliver must be a fast study in Mandarin,” Felicity quipped, a smile in her voice. “Now stop talking to me. ‘Nobody’ just turned the corner onto the street. He will be there in thirty seconds. I’m going radio silent so you can talk, but I’ll be right here the whole time.”

Tommy blew out a long breath, steadying his nerves. He could do this, as long as Felicity was in his corner, he knew he could.

‘Nobody’ entered the building, heading straight for the counter near the back. There weren’t many people in the cafe, so Tommy figured it best not to waste time.

Despite the seriousness of their current situation, Tommy couldn’t help plotting action movie scenarios in his head. He pictured himself fighting off rogue mercenaries while looking for ‘Nobody’. It was enough, for a moment at least, to calm his nerves enough to get to his feet and step toward them man.

“Excuse me, sir?” He was finally behind Nobody, tapping on the man’s shoulder. “I was hoping you could--”

‘Nobody’ turned around, meeting Tommy’s eyes. There was some sort or recognition there and the man shoved Tommy backwards. Tommy lost his balance falling into a table and knocking it on it’s end as he crashed to the floor. He looked up just in time to see ‘Nobody’ jump a table and burst out the front door, disappearing in the sea of people in the streets.

“Felicity,” Tommy hissed as the chaos is the room rose. “He ran.”

“What do you mean he ran?”

“Check the traffic cams, he saw my face and took off.” Tommy pulled himself up from the ground, straightening the table he’d knocked into and apologizing to the young woman whose beverage was now all over her lap with one of the only words he’d learned before coming to Hong Kong.

Felicity cursed under her breath in his ear. “Can you go after him?” she asked.

“Go after him?” Tommy replied. “What is this, a James Bond movie? Jesus Felicity, I don’t know what I’m doing here. How do you expect me to find him in that mess?” Tommy moved to the door just the same, shoving out into the street where he was instantly caught up in the flow of foot traffic pressing against him.

“Alright,” she said, a little harsher than before. “Calm down. Let me work my magic.”

Tommy turned down an alley, still flustered by the way the man had completely bolted upon seeing him. Maybe ‘Nobody’ thought that Tommy was working for some government agency who might be after him? Or maybe not even a government. Maybe he had other men after him. It seemed to beg the question of how Ollie was tied up in all this mess. Because every new potential answer they discovered left them with twelve more Pandora’s box type questions.

“I’m still working on it,” Felicity said. “But for now he’s a ghost.” She let out a long sigh, clearly dissatisfied with how everything played out. That made two of them. “You should head back to the hotel. I’ve got some upgrades I’m working on here at the office. We can regroup in a couple hours and chart our next course of action?”

Tommy let out a sigh of his own. “Yeah, okay,” he said, feeling defeated. “I’ll see you back there.” He pulled the comm from his ear, wondering about ‘Nobody’ and why the man had reacted the way he had.

Something was tickling at the back of Tommy’s mind. Something that made him wonder if coming back to Hong Kong might have been the worst idea he’d ever had.

\---

The Dolphinarium had been an overwhelming success. Akio could talk of nothing else for the rest of the day. Oliver was glad that they were able to make some happy memories in Moscow despite the hellish conditions that had landed them there. But by the time Oliver was tucking Akio into bed that night, reality had begun settling back around them.

“Will you tell me a story?” Akio asked, pulling the covers up to his chin.

Oliver had just reached to switch the light off when he froze. Did he know any kid stories? Was he even able to conjure any happy moments before the life he’d been dropped into more than two years ago? Everything before it seemed like a bit of a dream at times, and Oliver drew out a long breath before nodding his head and sitting on the edge of Akio’s bed.

“What kind of story would you like?” Oliver asked. Maybe he could kid-proof some of the Lian Yu stuff and make it an exciting adventure of pirates and…

“Something good,” Akio said with a long and drawn out yawn.

“Well that narrows it down, doesn’t it?” Oliver teased. He racked his brain for a good story. “Hmm, okay,” he said. “Does it have to start with ‘once upon a time’?”

Akio shook his head, his eyes staying closed a little longer every time he blinked.

“There once were two boys, best friends who did everything together. Their parents were best friends and the boys often pretended that they were brothers. No matter what they did together, pretending to be pirates or cowboys or bank robbers, they were always brothers. Ollie and Tommy.”

“Is this a story about you?” Akio asked, eyes popping open for a brief moment.

“No,” Oliver said. “Now shhh.” Akio nodded so Oliver continued. “One day Ollie and Tommy found an old book. A treasure map written in invisible ink. When they discovered the key to make the map appear, they followed it all the way to the end. And do you know what they found when they got there?”

“Probably something good,” Akio murmured, his voice full of sleep.

“They found a magical plate of cookies that would never be empty.”

“Did their mom make the cookies?” Akio asked quietly.

“Yep. Their mom had magic to make the cookies never run out. So Tommy and Ollie ate all the cookies they could eat and--”

“Oliver?”

“Hmm?”

“Did your mom used to make you cookies?”

“Yeah, she did.” A pang of fresh heartache hit Oliver; it had been so long since he’d let himself think about his mother or Thea, knowing the pain it caused him.

Akio was quiet for a moment, giving Oliver time to recover. It was long enough that Oliver wondered if the boy had drifted to sleep.

“Oliver?” his voice came quieter this time. But it was full of emotion.

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever miss your mom?”

“Yeah buddy,” Oliver said, attempting to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. “I miss her every day.”

A single tear slipped from Akio’s firmly shut eyes. “Me too,” he whispered.

Oliver leaned over a little and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I will get you back to her. I promise.”

Akio nodded, rolling over onto his side, away from Oliver, effectively ending story time. Oliver cleared his throat and stood from the bed, scrubbing a hand down his face. How much more could he put Akio through? He would have to talk to Anatoly about stepping up the search-- and soon. Akio needed his parents, and Oliver could only assume that Tatsu and Maseo were going crazy looking for their son.

“Goodnight Akio,” Oliver said, clicking off the light. His eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness and he glanced back at the bed.

“Goodnight Oliver,” the boy answered. Oliver could hear the emotion still in his voice and knew better than to say anything else. He left the room, closing the door firmly behind him, and made his way out into the kitchen to wait for Sofia.

Not letting himself dwell on his family back home in Starling any longer, Oliver switched gears and prepared himself for the conversation he knew he needed to have with Sofia. There had been too many listening ears around when she and Ivan had made their way back to the group- when they went to get chocolates, just as Ana had predicted.

It wasn’t long before Oliver heard a key turning in the lock at the front door and Sofia entered. She’d been a god-send as a sitter for Akio since she was working at her uncle’s request and would be there anytime Oliver needed her. If there were any upsides to the fact that Oliver had joined a ‘family business’, it was that.

“Ana had fun today,” Sofia said, barely meeting Oliver’s eyes as she slid her jacket off and placed it across the back of a kitchen chair. “She told father so.”

Oliver nodded, forcing himself to keep his temper even. “Akio did too,” he said. He let out a breath and plunged in, not wanting to beat around the bush. “Listen, Sofia, what happened today…”

“I am sorry, Oliver,” she said, her voice low. “I should have told you everything about Ivan.”

He was a bit surprised that she had been so forthcoming with it-- Oliver had suspected that he would have to drag it out of her. But it seemed the only people she was reluctant to tell about her and her secret boyfriend were Anatoly and Mikhail. Oliver had some experience in that area-- in lying to people that trusted him for a relationship. He hoped it ended better for Sofia than it did for him.

Oliver nodded slowly. “It can’t happen again,” he said. His voice was calm when he spoke, not betraying the emotion beneath. “The kid and I… we are in a tough spot. It’s why we don’t go out much. So I need to make sure that when I take him anywhere, I’m not being thrown into something I wasn’t expecting.”

Sofia ran her fingers through her hair nervously. She nodded, quickly agreeing with his demand. It made Oliver wonder what her father and uncle had told her of Oliver and Akio’s situation.

“And before you ask,” Oliver said, heading for the door. “I won’t tell your father and uncle anything unless they ask. I won’t lie to them after everything they’ve done for me.”

“I understand,” Sofia answered, her voice still soft, remorseful even.

“I think you should tell them, though. Trust me, it’s much better coming from you than finding out from someone else.”

Oliver slipped through the door, making sure it was locked on his way out before heading for the stairs.

\---

It didn’t take her long to track their mystery man after he fled, okay maybe it took her longer than she’d care to admit. He was a pro at dodging cameras, and slipping just right through a crowd. Felicity was impressed with his skills. But she hadn’t spent so much time and energy on this project just to lose their only lead in a sea of faces. So when she finally caught up to him he was headed into a run down apartment building downtown.

“What if he runs again?” Tommy looked at her, his arms crossed against his chest. “I get the feeling this guy isn’t really keen on talking to us, or anyone for that matter.”

She smirked with a shake of her head. “You’re still upset about that?”

“Okay no one should be able to run that fast, it’s inhuman,” he huffed. “And no, I’m more concerned with the reason his first instinct was flight.”

“Well we will just have to be convincing,” she replied, pulling on his arm as she made her way to the stairs. 

“Care to explain how you know what apartment he’s staying in?”

She didn’t reply as they made their ascent upwards. Truth was she kind of took a guess. Given the names of the tenants listed, and the preliminary backgrounds she could do, only one name didn’t check out right. The name was real of course, with an identification number and everything. But Felicity seriously doubted that a twelve year old was renting an apartment down by the docks. 

When they reached the top, Felicity turned placing a hand on Tommy’s chest, efficiently stopping his movements. 

“Maybe I should try talking to him,” she said pressing her lips together. 

“That’s a good one Smoak,” Tommy laughed trying to take a step around her, but she kept her hand firm. He finally met her gaze, shaking his head. “A thousand times no Felicity. What part of ‘not out of my sight’, makes you think I would agree to this?”

“Tommy,” she whispered. “He literally jumped a table when he saw you earlier. What do you think he’s gonna do if you show up on his doorstep asking questions?”

She knew he didn’t like the plan. And in all fairness she wasn’t exactly into it either. But this guy knew Oliver and he could be their only lead. And she’d promised Tommy she’d do whatever it took to find his friend. Felicity Smoak didn’t break a promise. 

“I don’t like this,” his hand had grabbed for hers, and she could feel his thumb brushing her knuckles. “He could be dangerous.”

“I know,” she said, giving him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “But I’ll be careful.”

Tommy nodded, pulling his hand back. She was convinced she’d had just made up the moment they were having, when he placed his hand in his pocket. 

He took the next step up leaning in close to her, as he brushed her hair from her shoulder. He held up his hand before speaking. “I really think you should at least wear a comm.”

Of course. Felicity had to will herself not to blush as Tommy helped get the device into place. His fingers gliding down her collarbone when he finished. 

“Thanks.” And how she’d managed to say that without a crack in her voice was beyond her. 

Tommy pulled out another, placing it in his ear. “Now I’ll be able to hear if something goes wrong.”

“Way to jinx it,” she winked, making her way down the hall. She chanced a glance back to the stairwell, just in time to see Tommy slip into the shadow, just under a window. With a deep breath she stepped up to the apartment door and knocked.

She could hear movement inside, and judging by the size of the building, and proportions on the schematic she looked over before they left the hotel, she knew he had to be close to the door. But still it remained shut. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for Felicity. So she knocked again, only this time it was more like banging.

“You should really open up Mr.Yamashiro,” she called through the door. “Because I happen to have amazing upper arm strength for a small girl. I also happen to know your apartment does not have a fire escape.”

The door opened harshly and Felicity had to take a step back to keep her footing. The man from the tapes stood before her, fear and anger covering his face. 

“If Waller sent you here, you can tell her to go to hell. I don’t want anything to do with any of you.” he hissed. 

Felicity gulped. She could see it his eyes, the shell of a man who’s lost too much, and carries the guilt like a pack wherever they go. 

“I don’t know who ‘Waller’ is, but whatever you think I’m after I can assure you I’m not,” Felicity took a tentative step closer. “I’m hoping you can help me track down someone. I know he was in the city within the last year, and I know you were with him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied crossing his arms, going on the defensive. Yep Felicity knew defense like no one else. “I just moved here.”

To say she was calm would be a stretch, but Felicity hadn’t survived MIT in her mid teens, by letting others see her sweat. “Which is why you’re living in a rundown apartment, under the alias of a minor. Why any record attached to your face has vanished from every government database known to man. I don’t know why someone would want to make you into no one, but they did a hell of a good job.”

“Look little girl--”

“Now you’re just being condescending,” she cut him off, mustering every bit of confidence her mother bestowed on her, as she pushed past him into the room. “I’m not leaving until I get the information I came for.”

“You can’t just barge into a person’s apartment like this.”

“So call the cops,” Felicity challenged leaning her back against the wall, even if it did look stained with someone she did not want to think about. “I’m sure they’ll be interested to know that you're committing identity theft. Unless you’re name actually is Akio Yamashiro, but you don’t look like a twelve year old.”

She heard Tommy’s soft laughter in her ear, which did boost her confidence levels, and urged her to continue. “I’m gonna assume whoever you’re afraid will find you, already knows where you are. They didn’t kill you, but they did make it extremely difficult for you to go anywhere. Kinda like you’re their pawn.”

“You should stop acting like you have any clue what you’re dealing with,” he replied with a glare. “You don’t know what it’s like to be on their radar, and pray you never find out.”

“I’m only here so you can tell me what you know about Oliver Queen’s whereabouts.”

The guy reacted, even if it was just a slight muscle twitch, but Felicity had grown up watching liars, cheaters, and gamblers, she could tell when someone was holding back. 

“And before you tell me again that you don’t know who that is,” she said, pulling out a flash drive and waving it in her hand. “I have plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise.”

He sighed, gesturing toward the dingy couch in the center of the room. “Sit down,” he said, his voice defeated.

Felicity moved further into the small apartment, taking a seat on the couch while the man sat in a chair to her left. 

“You should tell your friend on the earpiece to come in as well. Considering he’s the one who is really asking.”

She weighed her options. Acting like she had no clue what he was talking about was not worth the risk, plus he was offering to tell them something. But before she could even open her mouth, Tommy had entered the apartment, taking up position in the archway. 

“Mr. Merlyn, pleasure to see you again,” their host said, a hollow chuckle on his lips. “Though I don’t suppose you remember me.”

“You’re the cop who rescued me from my ‘kidnapping’,” Tommy replied glowering at him. Felicity shot him a confused look. “It clicked into place in the hall. So was it your idea to have Oliver tie me to a chair and frighten me back to the States?”

“It was that or he put a bullet in your head,” the man said evenly. “You should be grateful for the choice he made. Instead of being back here, sniffing around something that’s liable to bring a sighted sniper rifle back into your future. Only this time you brought a girlfriend to die alongside you.”

Tommy’s fists balled at his sides, and she could see he wanted to react. But he was also smart enough to pick his battles. So she stepped in. “Look I understand that you’re having a crappy time with your life right now. But there are people who really care about Oliver, people like Tommy. And they deserve to know the truth.”

“The truth is that there are people out there who won’t want you to find him. People who will kill you and anyone you care about if they even suspect you know more than you should,” his eyes darted between her and Tommy. “These people can rip away everything you have in your life, leaving you with scraps. It’s a hollow existence. Don’t underestimate them.”

“Who?” Felicity asked, because she honestly hated the cryptic game.

“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “If you don’t know them, you don’t want to, trust me on that.”

“Trust you?” Tommy scoffed. “You haven’t given us much reason to. We don’t even know your name.”

He watched them both for a long time before sighing. “Maseo Yamashiro.”

“So Akio would be…”

“He’s my son. He’s the only one they didn’t erase from the world. And I guess using his name is all I really have left of my family,” Maseo said, running his hand across his face. “That’s what they do when you are of no use to them any longer. They toss you aside, but god forbid they let go of their hold on you. Just in case.”

“How do you know Oliver?” Tommy’s voice was closer, and she realized it was because he was right behind her, his hand resting on the back of the sofa over her shoulder. 

“We were employed by the same firm. I was kind of like a handler of sorts. Because he really didn’t want to be here,” Maseo replied. “Oliver just wanted to go home. And I had hoped he did, but clearly we wouldn’t be talking if he’d made it there.”

Felicity didn’t want to press, because this man was clearly distraught. And she felt terrible for stirring all these painful memories for him, but they had to know. “What happened?” 

“Our employer was not pleased with her superiors after our last mission. And as a result she lashed out, at me and my family, and at Oliver. The night we returned from Starling City, we were attacked, and got separated.” Maeso paused taking a shaky breath. “I’m sorry, but that was the I saw of Oliver. When the gunfire started he took Akio and ran.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another chapter of awesome. So this is being posted later than normal for our Monday updates. And I wanted to take a second to apologize for that. Cassie and I are both doing NaNoWriMo this month, so we're trying to find a rhythm between our personal lives that have also decided to toss things (wonderful things) at us, updates/comments, and our own novels for Nano.   
> But fear not loyal readers. We have quite enough chapters banked, that we will not miss a week (even if we're late again). So without further delay, enjoy chapter 8.  
> -Kayla

Maseo had kicked them out shortly after their talk. And despite the long, stressful day Tommy couldn’t find solace in sleep. Maybe it was the jetlag, but he knew better than that. He knew it was Maseo’s last words that echoed through his head.

“I hope they’re dead,” Maseo said as Felicity had opened the door. “Because it’s better than the alternative.”

Tommy couldn’t think like that. He couldn’t hope that he’d never see Oliver again, that Oliver would be better off dead in some back alley, than alive and needing rescue. Maybe it was different for Maseo. It’s not like Tommy knew what it was like to have a child, to fear for their safety day in and day out. But still, how could anyone wish that for another?

“Tommy?” Felicity’s voice croaked from across the room.

He’d given her the bed and had opted to sleep on the sofa, even though it was lumpy and uncomfortable, because he hadn’t been lying when he told her that the single room was just because he wasn’t willing to let her out of his sight.  Clearly this was far more dangerous than he’d originally imagined, and that still scared the crap out of him.

“Are you awake?” she questioned again in the darkness.

Part of him wanted to pretend to be asleep, because he had too much going on in his mind to be any sort of company.  But he couldn’t do that to Felicity.

“Yep,” he answered quietly.  “Too much to think about to sleep.”  Because it wasn’t just about him finding Oliver anymore.  He had Felicity to worry about too.  He needed to keep her safe, whatever the cost.  Tommy had considered sending her home, having her finish the work at MG in Hong Kong and then sticking her on a plane back to Starling while he searched for Oliver and Akio on his own.  But Tommy knew that the tracking that needed to be done wasn’t something he could do on his own, and it wasn’t something Felicity could do from halfway around the world.

“Do you think what Maseo said was true?” Felicity asked, rustling the covers in the dark as she shifted in the bed.  “About wishing his own son was dead?”

Tommy swallowed hard, thankful that she couldn’t see his face and the cringe he wore.  What could have happened?  What could Maseo know that they didn’t that would make him wish that his own son would be dead?  

“I don’t know,” he answered, his voice cracking at the end.  This was more than either of them had signed up for.  He wasn’t even sure what more to say to her.

“You don’t want to stop looking for him, do you?”  

Felicity clicked the light on and sat up, pulling the sheet up to her chin and hiding her shoulders beneath it.  Tommy watched a small shiver go through her and she pulled the blanket up over her as well.  Her hair was slightly disheveled from bed and the light behind her gave her an ethereal glow.  How could he subject this beautiful creature to the torture that Maseo had described to them?  How could he allow her to be put in harm’s way over and over again for the sake of his quest to find Ollie?

“No, I don’t,” Tommy answered.  “But I don’t want you to think that you have to keep going with me.  It will mean time away from work, from your family and friends.  And if what Maseo said is true, it will mean a lot of danger.”

Felicity nodded.  “I appreciate you giving me the option,” she said, pulling a hand through her blonde locks.  “But if you’re not leaving, I’m not leaving.”  She smiled a little, perhaps to reassure him, but it just made him worry more.  “Besides, I told you about my deal with mysteries already.  I hate them. They have to be solved.  Plus I can’t let you alone out there.  You are terrible with covert, in-the-field work.”

“Hey!” he said, pulling a pillow from under his head and launching it at her.  “You’re no 007 either.”

She caught the pillow and threw it back at him.  “Yeah, but I have super awesome hacker skills.  Totally makes up for what I lack in spy training.”

He laughed, feeling no shame in it. Felicity had that kind of effect on him. Where she seemed to push the darkness away with just a tilt of her head, or pull a smile out of him with one string of babbling. It was nice to have some like that in his life.

Tommy groaned at he tried to fall back into a position that didn’t make him regret the day couches were invented.

“Comfy over there?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“It’s fine,” Tommy replied repositioning the pillow behind him.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Felicity said. As she shook her head, she patted the large empty space next to her. “Come over here.”

“What?” He looked at her, then at the bed. “It’s okay, I’m fine here.”

“Tommy don’t be an idiot. A king size bed is like three times the size of anything I’m used to,” she pushed the covers off, motioning for him to come over. “So will you stop being your gentlemanly self, and get over here before you need a chiropractor before you’re 30.”

He tried to find a reason why he shouldn’t, but they really weren’t things he could put words to. He really couldn’t tell her he thought he was developing a crush on her. Because Tommy Merlyn didn’t get attached to people. He didn’t. He dated, occasionally the same woman for longer than three days. And adding in what they were currently dealing with, he knew timing would never work out right. Felicity was the one constant he had right now, and he wouldn’t lose that over a crush. He couldn’t.

He got up, padding across the open space of the room, until he was next to the bed. “You sure?”

“No, I wanted to see if you’d walk all the way over here,” she rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Just get in and shut the light off.”

He smiled again, clicking the lamp off before climbing into bed. As he settled in next to her, he could feel the calm wash over him. Even more so when Felicity reached out to take his hand.

“For what it’s worth,” she said, with sleep filling her voice. “I believe he’s still out there. And you and me, we’re gonna bring him home.”

He nodded, even though she couldn’t see it, and squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

Despite the questions swirling around in his mind, Tommy relaxed into the bed.  He wasn’t sure if it was Felicity’s assurance that they would find Ollie, or the fact that he’d barely slept in three days, but it wasn’t long before Tommy’s eyes closed and sleep pulled him under.

\---

It was a fairly slow night at the club. According to a few of the other bouncers, things always died down around this time. University students were too engrossed in final projects to waste their time clubbing, and tourist season wasn’t due to start for a few more weeks. Those were the crowds Anatoly’s place seemed to attract; the young and naive or the foreigners. No one who really knew the neighborhood entered the club. Too many whispers of the illegal kind deterred the locals, Oliver assumed.

So he stood with his arms braced on the railing, eyes vigilant on the floor below. There may be few people in the place, but that didn’t mean he could let his guard down. He’d learned too many times that the second you did that, someone put a gun to your back. Which is why, even with the music pulsating the room, he still heard his boss approach long before Anatoly came to a stop beside him.

“Thought you hated coming into the club, something about the vices of youth,” Oliver said, taking a drink from the tumbler in his hand. The scotch had lost its chill about half an hour ago when the last of his ice had melted. But he kept a drink in his hand for appearances, nothing more.

“I think I may have located the boy’s mother.”

Oliver turned to face him, probably the first time he’d moved the whole night. “What do you mean think?”

“It means what I say, she may have been found,” he took the glass from Oliver before he let fall to the floor below. “In Tokyo.”

Oliver nodded. It made sense. If Tatsu was able to get out of Hong Kong, Maseo would have insisted she go home to Japan. The thought of reuniting Akio with his mother almost brought a smile to his face. Almost.

“There’s a catch isn’t there?”

“There seems to be a heavy presence that has taken up residency near her home,” Anatoly said raising a brow. “Of the government persuasion.”

Of course Waller would have people on Tatsu. Probably waiting for Oliver to come out of the woodwork so she could pounce. He couldn’t take Akio to his mother, not until he was sure Waller would leave the family alone, to let them live out their lives in peace. But it was going to take more than Oliver strong holding her into it. She had all the power, all the resources. All he had was a few notches on a Bratva belt he didn’t even want.

Anatoly watched closely before speaking. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t think it was important.”

“Or you thought if I knew it was ARGUS I would have been less inclined to help.” Oliver looked on in confusion but Anatoly just smiled. “Come now, I did not get to the position I am in without crossing paths with one or two groups I shouldn’t have. It’s been many years though.”

“So you’ll still help?” He turned away from the dance floor to lean his back against the rail, arms crossed.  Oliver was starting to wonder just what it would take to reunite Akio with his parents-- how many of the rapidly disappearing pieces of his soul he’d have to give up to the darkness before this was all finished.

“I like you, Oliver,” Anatoly said, and Oliver could already tell this was going to require more of his soul than he’d prefer.  “I have always told you that I like you, yes?”

Oliver nodded, remaining silent.

“The work you do for me is always good work.  You are strong and dedicated and capable.”  He paused as a waitress came and delivered them new drinks-- two shot glasses of vodka.  She disappeared, Anatoly clinking his glass against Oliver’s and downing the shot.  Oliver did the same, feeling the dull burn in his throat and chest as the liquor moved through him.

Their shot glasses were placed upside down on the railing that was against Oliver’s back and Anatoly continued.  “And now there is the unfortunate business of replacing my captain.  It must be dealt with swiftly.  Tension still lingers over my decision to bring you in and my brother needs to know that you are committed.”

Oliver cringed inwardly at the mention of Sokolov.  His nightmares had begun to subside, but the mention of the man was sure to make them flood his mind again.  “I would have thought that ‘unfortunate business’ might have convinced him,” Oliver said, feeling his temper rise over the lingering doubts about him.

“I will not tell you it is rare for us to bring in outsiders, Oliver,” Anatoly said, motioning to the waitress who disappeared, presumably to bring them another round.  “It is not rare.  It is non-existent.  You are the exception.  Everyone else is family.  Generations of trust.  That can not be earned with a single bullet.”

His eyes hardened, because he’d heard similar speeches before. Ever since the island. Not that Anatoly was being very subtle, but still the implication was there. If Oliver wanted to utilize the Bratva’s resources there were many more lives he’d have to answer to one day.

“Thought I was done being an assassin when I left Hong Kong,” he said, his voice slipping into a deep growl. “I didn’t come here to fall further into the darkness.”

“Sometimes the darkness is the only thing that can keep a person going.” Anatoly clasped a hand to Oliver’s shoulder, with a squeeze. “Protecting the boy is a noble thing. But nobility won’t protect his family. And I cannot risk mine in a war with someone like Amanda Waller, not unless you are willing to do what it takes to earn the rest of the family’s trust.”

“And how do I live with that?” He replied, scrubbing a hand across his face. “How do I look at Akio every morning, knowing the blood that stains my hands, in the name of his family?”

“We all must do things we later regret Oliver,” The waitress had returned, leaving their drinks, as she cleared the empty shots away. “The question is: what is worth the deepest of them? Only you can answer that.”

Anatoly drank his shot down, setting the glass back to the railing. “Come see me when you decide to move forward. We have much to do, and very little time to accomplish it.”

As Oliver watched the man leave, he thought back to the story he told Akio earlier that evening.  It had been such a mix of reality and fantasy, pain and joy. The kid believed the best in him, like Oliver was a superhero that had come to his rescue so many times. But Oliver wasn’t what Akio needed; he needed his parents. So if Oliver was going to sell his soul to the Devil, at least he’d be reuniting a family in the process. He just hoped that notion would be enough to keep his demons at bay.

\---

She was up before the sun, because she had made a promise. And Felicity Meghan Smoak never broke a promise. Tommy was counting on her to find Oliver, to bring his friend home. And she wouldn’t be able to handle it if they didn’t. So she was up, hotel room coffee to keep her company, trying to find Oliver.

It was proving to be a very headache inducing endeavour. She had countless hours of footage and pictures of Oliver from all over Hong Kong, up until nearly three months ago. Then he seemed to vanish from the city. Which only expanded the number of places he could have gone. And now she had to not only worry about Oliver, but a little kid too. Because Felicity couldn’t shake the look on Maseo’s face when he spoke of his son. If Tommy’s grief was enough to keep her on this mission, then the grief of the father only pushed her more.

She was currently expanding her searches to major cities in Asia and Europe. Because well, if she was on the run from someone, with a kid in tow, she’d want to be in a densely populated area. Not that she and Oliver would think alike, but it still seemed logical.

She heard Tommy begin to stir behind her, and she had to refocus to hide her blush. Which was completely ridiculous. There had been nothing to last night except her concern over his rest. There was no way Tommy would get a good night’s sleep on a couch that was clearly only there for decor.  He’d already suffered through it for the last three nights without so much as a groan of complaint.  So she’d been doing a kind thing, a noble thing really.

She was lucky that she had been able to extract herself from bed without waking him, though.  Sleeping beside Tommy was one thing, but waking up with his arm draped over her and her back pressed into his chest- well that was completely another.  It took her a good several minutes of cringing and blushing before she found the courage to even try to sneak out of the bed.  Thankfully Tommy slept like a rock, because she honestly didn’t know how her friend/boss/partner-in-spy would have reacted. They kept having moments, and Felicity wasn’t blonde enough not to know they were both flirting with each other. But considering she really didn’t have much to compare the situation with, she couldn’t tell if he was flirting to flirt or because that’s just how he was hardwired. Maybe he flirted with everyone. Maybe that’s how he and Oliver communicated with each other too, and she was just overthinking things for no reason.

“Hey,” she heard Tommy’s groggy voice over her internal monologue. “How long have you been up?”

Taking a deep breath, and putting on a smile she hoped looked calm, she spoke. “A couple of hours. I figured I’d get a jump start on expanding the search. We don’t have much time we can drag out here. So I hope we get a hit before we have to leave.”

Tommy was out of bed then, stretching his arms high above his head, and Felicity had to pull her gaze away from the strip of skin being exposed as his shirt rode up.

“Head in the game,” she mumbled, turning back to her computers.

“What was that?” he asked coming to stand behind her, a smile on his face. “Please tell me you’ve had more than coffee this morning.”

“A woman never reveals her secrets Merlyn,” she replied taking a sip from her mug. “It’s really good coffee though.”

“I’m sure it is, but they have this thing called room service that will deliver real food to the room,” he joked grabbing for the room’s phone.

“You’re always so concerned with feeding me. I’m starting to think you’re this avid foodie and you’re using the cover of me needing to eat to hide your hobby.”

“You caught me,” he said holding the phone to his ear. “I also love scrapbooking and extreme couponing.”

“If you ever create a dating profile those need to be in the top of your bio. It’ll make the women swoon,” Felicity said, placing a hand over her chest.

Tommy rolled his eyes, motioning for her to wait a second. “Hello this is Tommy Merlyn in suite 1124, can I get two of your breakfast platters brought up? Also more coffee. Thank you.” he hung up tossing the phone towards the couch. “Okay I’m gonna shower before food gets here, unless you want first crack?”

“Nope go ahead,” she said, clicking back into a few of her open searches. Trying very hard not to think of Tommy naked in the shower. Because thoughts like that were super distracting.  It didn’t help that they had been in close quarters for days.  Being around a flirt like Tommy was enough to drive any red-blooded woman to such thoughts.

“Oh,” he called back, his head peeking out from behind the bathroom door with a cheeky grin. “FYI, I so don’t need a dating profile to make a woman swoon.”

“Shut up and take your shower Merlyn,” she replied trying to cover her smile. The door clicked closed and Felicity’s attention mostly returned to her computer screen.  She had been able to pin down Oliver’s last location, but it definitely left her with more questions than answers.  The Hong Kong Port Authority was a vast network of docks and shipyards, most of which was without video surveillance.  But it was the last place Oliver’s face graced Hong Kong, and at that point, at least it seemed, that he had a kid in tow.

Pushing back against the seat she was sitting in, Felicity closed her eyes and let her head loll backwards.  It still wasn’t much, and the facial recognition scans in other major cities would take hours to comb through everything.  A knock resounded on the door to their suite and Felicity moved to open it.

Only it wasn’t a hotel employee on the other end with the cart of food.  It was Maseo in a hotel uniform and she wasn’t ready to question how he’d gotten it.

“Can I come in?” Maseo asked, glancing down at the cart of food and keeping his head low.

A wave of uncertainty washed through her, but Felicity took a step back, letting him enter the room.  “I thought after yesterday we’d never see you again,” she said, closing the door and securing every lock on it once they were both inside.

“It would be better that way,” Maseo said, standing in the entrance way.

Felicity ushered him into the room, taking her seat back at her computer as Maseo sat beside her.  “You made that abundantly clear,” she replied dryly.  “I don’t think another visit was necessary.”

“Perhaps we should wait for your--”

The door to the bathroom opened and Tommy emerged, dressed in jeans and pulling a white undershirt over his head, his hair dripping.  “Room service is fa---” he cut off when his eyes landed on Maseo.  “Fast.  And also not room service.”

“Your food is there,” Maseo said, gesturing to the cart near the door.

“I’m not even going to ask on that one,” Tommy said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Maseo was just going to explain what he came all this way for,” Felicity said, tossing Tommy a wary glance.  She didn’t want to get her hopes up that he had somehow changed his mind, but it was looking promising.  She was sure he wouldn’t have ventured to their hotel to warn them to stay away again.

“What I told you yesterday about the people looking for Oliver and my son, what they’ve done to me, everything was true,” Maseo began.  “But I think it was not enough to stop your search for your friend.”

Tommy sighed.  “I can’t give up on him,” he said, running a hand through his hair.  “And now knowing that he has your son with him.  I’d think that you would appreciate the help in finding them.”

“Your friend would call you an idiot if he knew you were doing this for him,” Maseo scoffed.  “He has little sense but it seems more than you possess.”

“Well if that’s all,” Tommy said, standing and heading for the door.

“I will welcome your help,” Maseo countered, looking torn between the decision he was making.  “But only because I will do anything to get Akio back.”

A pang in Felicity’s heart had her reaching for the man’s arm, her hand resting gently near his shoulder.

“And with as quickly as you seemed to find me,” Maseo continued.  “I think perhaps you will have more luck than my searches.”

“The seedy underbelly of the internet is kind of my playground,” Felicity said.  “And that sounded considerably less creepy in my head.  But basically, if it’s out there online- on any database or hackable site, I will find it.”  She took a breath, not sure if she was ready to share the little news she’d discovered, but seeing no reason to hide it.  “It looks like Oliver and Akio left Hong Kong about three months ago.  They went out through the shipyard, probably as stowaways, but that’s all I know for now.”

Maseo’s gaze dropped to the floor and Felicity let her hand fall from his arm.  “All this time I have been searching the city,” Maseo said, his voice quiet.  “All these months wasted.”

Felicity swallowed hard, her eyes glancing to Tommy, who could offer her no help on what to say.  “The good and bad news is that a child will be easier to track.  They’re harder to blend into crowds because they don’t have the skills and knowledge.  It should help me locate them.”

“But it could also help anyone else locate them as well,” Maseo said.

With a sigh, Felicity turned her attention back to Maseo.  “If you’re going to let us help you, Maseo, then you need to let us in on all the dirty details.  I can’t help with one hand tied behind my back.”  He looked up and finally met her eyes, so she continued.  “I understand that these people have done awful things to you and your family.  But I can’t get you off of whatever blacklist you’ve been put on if I don’t know who is doing it to you.”

Maseo shook his head.  “I can’t tell you that.  The less you know the better.”

“Then the best I can do is a fake ID.  It may be able to get you out of the country, but no guarantees.”  Felicity was good, but even her talents weren’t limitless.  “It will be convincing enough for any border control that doesn’t use electronic facial recognition.  Which in this day and age might not get you far.”

“It will be enough,” Maseo responded.

Felicity nodded.  “Meet us back here in three days.  I will have everything ready by then.  We can head out together to find Oliver and Akio.”

Maseo stood, giving both Felicity and Tommy a small nod, and headed for the door.

“Wait, one more thing,” Felicity said, causing him to turn back.  She reached for her phone, pulling up the camera and placing Maseo in front of the blank wall behind the door, snapping a quick headshot photo of him for the new ID.  “Okay, you’re all set.”

Maseo bowed his head slightly toward her, a gesture of appreciation, she thought, before he disappeared out the door.  Felicity closed and locked the door behind him and turned back to Tommy.

“Talk about a 180,” he said with a bit of a sigh.

Felicity shrugged.  “I think he was probably at the end of his rope looking for his son and recognized a way out.”  She paused, thinking about it for a moment.  “You don’t think it was anything more than that do you?  Like a double cross or something?”

Tommy shook his head, smirking as he pushed the food cart toward the table and lifting the lids on the platters.  “I think you’ve seen too many spy movies,” he said, bringing their conversation from the night before back full circle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Thanks for coming back, and for those of you just finding this fic, thanks for making it this far! Did you do it in one sitting? Kudos to you if you did. We appreciate each and every one of you who reads... without you, it would make what we do a lot less fun. Are you ready? Here we go!

Working out of the Hong Kong office was so much different than the Starling office. For starters, Felicity was made to nearly feel like royalty in Hong Kong. She was constantly offered coffee and assistants. She was sure the management knew that something was up, despite none of them uttering a word about the firewall she was installing. The minor fix took her no time at all, but she had still shown up the last three days in a row, keeping up appearances for her and Tommy. They were going to have to come up with something new to tell Malcolm soon if they were going to leave Hong Kong on Oliver’s trail. Even if she wasn’t sure where that trail would lead them yet.

Felicity was starting to wonder how Oliver and Akio had managed to go dark at all. She had tracked down every outbound ship from Hong Kong within a week of when the pair had last been seen there. Nothing seemed out of order on any of the shipments. It was all clean.

Tommy had come to the office with her on their last planned day in Hong Kong, so the staff was being particularly attentive. If she were honest, they were too attentive for the work she would have preferred to be doing.

“Still nothing?” Tommy asked, his voice low as a group of female employees walked passed the open conference room door where they’d temporarily set up shop. 

The women giggled as they passed and Felicity couldn’t help but roll her eyes. He didn’t even speak their language and they were smitten.

“You know this is all for your benefit, right?” she said, keeping her voice low as well as she gestured to the women in the hallway.

Tommy shrugged, a bit of a smirk on his face. He sat a little straighter, pulling on the lapels of his jacket. “Son of the CEO,” he answered. “That means something to some people.”

“It means that you are a pain in my ass,” Felicity said under her breath before she could stop herself. “Also I can’t actually do any non-work type work here with all these prying eyes.”

He frowned, leaning in to look at the Merlyn Global logo that was spinning on her screen. “Want me to ask them for a tour or something? Give you some down time?”

Felicity nodded. “That would be helpful actually. I have to check on Maseo’s paperwork. And--” Her computer pinged, cutting her off. Felicity’s head tilted to the side as she glanced at the screen. One of the facial recognition searches she had been running caught something.

“Is it Ollie?” Tommy said, his voice low. He stood, moving to behind Felicity’s chair and leaned against the back.

“I’m not sure,” she answered, typing commands into the program to try to enhance the photo. “It’s only a forty percent match and the picture is too grainy to enhance far. But it could be him.” She leaned back in the seat, her head tilting back and brushing Tommy’s arm as she glanced up at him. “Considering it’s the only hit I’ve gotten in days, it may be worth checking out.”

Tommy nodded, letting out a deep sigh. He shifted so he was seated on the edge of the desk, looking down at her. “And where would we be headed?”

Felicity motioned for him to wait as she brought up the server her search had connected with. A second later the location displayed, in a small box near the bottom of the screen. “Looks like we’d need to head to Paris.”

“Oh please don’t mean Texas?” Tommy pleaded with a grin she couldn’t help but match. 

“Nope. Paris, France.” she replied. “Let me guess you’ve been?”

“What you haven’t?” he countered in a mocking tone, shaking his head. “We used to vacation there when I was a kid. And by vacation I mean, my mom, and later a nanny, and I would go around to street vendors while my dad was at the office. Which is actually fortuitous for us.”

“How so?” she raised a brow, but he already had his phone out, waiting for the other line to connect. “Okay ignore the pretty blonde.”

“Shh,” he said but was grinning. “Hey Dad… Yes we are finishing up in Hong Kong… Look I was wondering, since we’re already overseas, when was the last time some of our offices had a good hard look from upper management?”

Felicity watched as Tommy continued his conversation, trying to act like she wasn’t listening, even though she clearly was. If Mr. Merlyn said no they’d have to come up with another plan of action. And she really couldn’t think of another reason her and Tommy would have to go to one of the most romantic cities in the world, if not for business. Okay so maybe she could think of one reason, but that would imply they tell Tommy’s dad they were dating, which they were not, and would not be doing, ever. 

“Look Dad, you wanted me to take a more vested interest in the company. And I just think it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn’t look in on some of our larger foreign offices,” he met Felicity’s eyes and she laughed, knowing how frustrated he must be getting. “No I would keep Miss Smoak with me of course. She could upgrade the security systems at any offices we went to… That is absolutely not the reason… Yes I’m sure, one hundred percent positive that’s not happening. Dad, I just want to check in on the company. This is my legacy as much as yours so I want to see for myself that it’s doing well.”

Felicity felt her stomach tighten a bit at his words. From the sound of it, Malcolm suspected foul play on hers and Tommy’s parts. Thank goodness he hadn’t explained what city they were planning on going to next.

“I was thinking Paris,” Tommy said.

Sure, Merlyn, Felicity thought inwardly with a groan. Because that’s sure to make him think it’s just business.

“Good, it’s settled then. We fly out tomorrow.” Tommy ended the call with a triumphant smile and turned toward Felicity, who was doing her best not to look as embarrassed and slightly wounded as she felt. “Done,” he said.

“Mmmhmm,” Felicity hummed, not sure how else to reply. Hong Kong was one thing as far as visiting with the heir to the Merlyn empire. But the self-titled ‘most romantic city in the world’ was quite another thing altogether.

“What?” Tommy questioned with a shrug. “I thought that went well.”

Felicity cleared her throat, her eyes back on her computer screen as she passed the photo from Paris through a few other filters to try to clean the image up. “Nothing,” she squeaked. “I just can’t imagine how I look to him.” She chewed on the inside of her lip, not meeting Tommy’s eyes. She knew that things might look bad before. Working at the company for two months, being Tommy’s friend, the two of them going to an exotic location together-- and that was before she knew that they’d be sharing a hotel room.

“You look like you’re doing a damn good job here in Hong Kong. Enough to impress the son of the CEO. Enough to warrant the amazing opportunity of upgrading the security systems at our other international locations.” Tommy’s voice was smooth and reassuring.

She nodded in agreement, even if she didn’t believe it. Maybe Malcolm didn’t know that they were sharing a room. The thought made her feel a little better, anyway.

“I should finish up with this,” she answered, darting a quick glance in Tommy’s direction. “You mind taking that tour now?”

Tommy ducked his head, eyes downcast before he nodded. “Yeah, definitely.”

“I just mean, Maseo is meeting us back at the hotel in a couple hours and I want to make sure everything’s ready to go. Especially if we’re flying to Paris tomorrow.” She sighed. “Paris.”

Tommy offered her a smile and stood from his perch on the conference table. “If it would help I can make a big scene at a club tonight with a girl,” Tommy suggested. “Throw some photos onto social media for all those prying eyes back home.”

Felicity shook her head. “Not necessary,” she answered. “I’m a big girl. I make my own decisions and I am here because it’s the right thing to do. Because it’s what I want to do. What anyone else thinks doesn’t matter.”

Tommy’s hand found her shoulder. “I know I’ve said it before,” he paused, waiting until her eyes found his before continuing. “But I couldn’t have done this without you. Any of this. It means a lot that you’ve stuck it out.”

Felicity smiled back. “Tommy Merlyn’s personal IT girl. Has a bit of a ring to it, I think.” Her eyes wandered back to her computer screen as Tommy disappeared out the door and around the corner, where an eager group of employees quickly swarmed around him. The new identity for Maseo was taking longer than she’d expected. Then again, being halfway around the world and working with foreign papers she was unfamiliar with should have made her go a little easier on herself. But time was one thing they never seemed to have enough of. Especially when everything they did shed light on just how many steps behind Oliver they really were.

\---  
Oliver could barely breathe as the fire bloomed through his chest. Anatoly’s men were good, possibly better than he was. But Oliver wouldn’t let them keep him down for long. He twisted to the side, before the staff came down against his ribs again, using the leverage to bring himself back to his feet. 

Oliver hadn’t been sure what his boss meant when he had said they had much to do. He assumed it was a list of people he’d have ingrained in his memory for years to come. But apparently Anatoly had other things in mind first.

“To be strong within the Bratva, you must fight like one of us,” Anatoly had told him when he arrived the other morning. “Right now you fight like a man struggling to survive. You need to fight like someone who knows they will win.”

“So what this is gonna be some kind of Rocky training montage?” Oliver smirked looking around the room. “I think I can handle myself.”

Anatoly barked in laughter leaving Oliver with the others. Who, given their fighting style, must be the best of the Bratva. They also seemed to have a particular grudge against Oliver in general. At least that’s how it felt with each blow to his arms, legs, and chest. 

But Oliver endured. 

He had only been at the new training for a few days now and was already pushing himself up the ranks. He had always been a fast learner when it came to things like this. School, maybe not so much. But Oliver excelled in active learning.

The hand to hand combat was something he’d learned from Slade on the island. Learning when to dodge, when the other guy thought he’d weave. Slade had taught Oliver a lot about anticipating where the enemy would strike. But even that hadn’t prepared Oliver for the training of the Bratva.

There were still four men he hadn’t bested yet. Ivan was one of them, and it looked like Sofia’s boyfriend was taking extreme pleasure in watching Oliver crumple back to the ground time and time again.

Ivan had been his sparring partner for the last three rounds and Oliver was definitely feeling it. His movements had slowed, whipping a blow that didn’t even connect as Ivan ducked out of the way, still light on his feet, staff raised in one hand, ready to strike. Oliver lunged forward, his own staff connecting with Ivan’s once, twice before he backed up, unable to advance further. Ivan rushed him, his staff sweeping behind Oliver, knocking his feet from under him. Oliver went down hard onto his side, his staff under him, possibly bruising a rib from the fall.

Oliver laid there for a moment, breathing hard and feeling like an idiot. He should be better at this. He had to get better at this. A hand filled his field of vision and Oliver took it, letting a familiar and friendly face pull him to his feet.

“You should try rolling out, before getting back up,” Nikolay said, handing him a water bottle. “Better on your rib cage.”

Nik was the only one of the group who didn’t seem to mind Oliver being there, or even question his position within the Bratva. From what Oliver was able to gather, Nik lived in Russia as a child. But when his mother died, his father, a Bratva Captain in the US, brought him stateside to live. Nik had only returned to Moscow a few years back, when he wanted to be more involved with the business. Oliver appreciated the fact that at least he wasn’t the only one who didn’t speak fluent Russian. Not that Nik couldn’t, he just preferred not to. 

“I think what would be better on my ribs is if Ivan wasn’t my sparring partner,” Oliver replied, groaning at the soreness.“Care to trade?”

“So he can kick my ass?” Nik raised a brow. “I would rather not have a punctured lung thank you.”

“Your concern is touching,” he deadpanned, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. The rest of the room seemed to be clearing out about then, when Oliver glanced at the clock. “To think, I expected I had only gotten the crap beat out of me for an hour, not a whole three.”

“Hey look at that, your endurance is already improving,” Nik replied grabbing his stuff from the corner. “Pretty soon it’ll only feel like half an hour.”

“I’d rather just not get the crap beat out of me.”

“Baby steps Oliver, baby steps.”

Oliver shook his head with a laugh, as the door swung open. When he swiveled towards the sound he froze. 

“Nikolay,” Anatoly greeted with a nod, then looked to Oliver. “I need to speak with Mr. Queen.”

“Yes sir,” Nik replied. Oliver watched the man leave, only sparing one glance back at the pair before the door closed behind him.

“How is training going?” Anatoly questioned, taking a few steps into the room.

Oliver knew what he was doing. The surveying look in the man’s eyes told him that Anatoly had come for a reason, and Oliver was sure that reason was business.

“What do you need Anatoly?” Oliver replied. He wasn’t there to play games or dance around the subject. He was sick of that. 

“This is why I like you. Always down to business,” he smiled, before nodding. “There’s a shipment coming in tonight, and it would be very helpful if it did not end up in the wrong hands. I’m sending a team to retrieve it, and I want you there.”

“Who else is going?” Oliver questioned, not that he was going to say no, but it was always better to know where you would stand in a group. 

“Ivan is leading, I want you there as his backup,” Anatoly said. “Also maybe a few more, Ivan’s picking them now.”

“You know Ivan hates me right? No one here trusts my reasons for being in the Bratva. So why make us work together?”

“Bratva is a brotherhood,” the man replied. “So yes, Ivan and the others take issue with your position. But the only way to prove to them you are one of us, is to be one of us. Unless that is not your desire any longer?”

Oliver paused just shy of rolling his eyes. Anatoly wouldn’t appreciate the gesture and Oliver still needed to convince everyone it seemed, that he was in this for the long haul. Whether or not it was ‘his desire’ was of no matter to anyone, despite Anatoly’s remark.

“Whatever it takes,” Oliver answered instead. He was slowly learning what it meant to be in the family.

It meant not asking so many questions, for starters.

\---

Tommy had managed to make the tour of the building and grounds last long enough for Felicity to get all of her non-business related work done. He spent time with some of the upper management in the office, learning about what all went on in their Hong Kong branch. Tommy was surprised that he enjoyed his time in the office. In the past, he had always found his father’s company stuffy and underwhelming. But now that he was learning more about the inner workings of what went on, rather than just the politics of upper mobility in management, he found that he quite liked what he saw.

By the time he made it back to the conference room that Felicity had been set up in, she was packing up her laptop.

“Everything’s set,” she said with a smile. It was a genuine smile this time; not like the fake one she’d plastered on for his benefit when they’d talked about going to Paris. Tommy knew that this wasn’t how Felicity had anticipated her career going, but he appreciated every moment that she spent helping him look for Ollie. He wished he could make it up to her in a way that wouldn’t make her look like she was sleeping her way to the top. Because Felicity deserved more than that.

“Great,” Tommy answered, leaning against the doorframe, crossing one leg over the other. “I was thinking we should do karaoke and sake tonight, after our meeting at the hotel. You know, really go out with a bang.”

Felicity giggled, shaking her head. “You know those are both Japanese things, right?”

Tommy cleared his throat, nodding. “Yeah,” he said, his voice cracking a bit. “I was just checking you on your pop culture.”

Felicity brushed past him out the door with an “Uh huh.”

Tommy spun around, trailing behind her. “You’re probably just afraid to have a sing off with me.”

This made Felicity pause and glance back. “Oh, don’t you get me started, Merlyn,” she said, her voice low. “I would kick your ass in a sing-off.”

She continued to the elevators and Tommy stood there a moment, dazed even though his eyes trailed her. There were some moments when Tommy wondered how he would have made it through this mess without her. Felicity had such a lightness, such an effervescent personality that made everything seem less doom and gloom. To be fair, he also wouldn’t have made it half this far without her unique talent for hacking. But even if he had, there was no way he’d be able to say he was actually enjoying the hunt for Oliver.

“You coming?” Felicity called.

Tommy shook his head, clearing away the thoughts that had stuck there and refocused, his eyes finding her in the elevator, arm outstretched to keep the doors from closing. “Yeah,” he answered, joining her in the elevator. “So where did we come down on karaoke?”

Felicity rolled her eyes, shoving his arm playfully. “You know there’s one place I always wanted to see,” she said wistfully. “Lantau Island. I’ve heard it’s beautiful. Roaming buffalo, huge buddha statues. It’s supposed to be really peaceful.”

Tommy sighed. “Peaceful. Remind me again what that word means?”

“I just figured since we’re going to be running around who knows where, it might be nice for one night off. Just to actually take in the sights and enjoy the city.”

He nodded, glancing sidelong at her as the floors dinged by on the elevator. A smile lit his face when he recalled their first meeting three months ago in an elevator much like this one. It seemed like it should have been longer ago than that. They’d been through so much together since. “You think three months ago you’d have thought you’d be here?” he asked absently.

Felicity let out a hearty laugh. “Three months ago, my biggest decision was where to get my take-out from.”

“Mine was which girl to take to which restaurant,” he said with a wink.

What was meant to be a harmless joke stemmed a fifteen minute giggle-fest from Felicity in which she asked Tommy to name every woman he’d taken out on a date and used the line ‘it’s just dinner’.

It turned out, Tommy used the line a lot. Because as they entered the hotel lobby, he was still offering her names.

“You really are a man-whore,” she chided as they walked up the steps to their room.

“Reformed man-whore,” Tommy corrected. Because now that he thought about it, the last date he’d been on was a few nights after his party when he and Laurel had gone out. Coincidentally enough, it was right around the time he met Felicity-- not that one had anything to do with the other. It was merely coincidence.

“Says the man who offered to make a scene in a club tonight.”

“Offered,” he repeated. “I’ve never--” his voice trailed off, not finishing his sentence. Because how could he tell her that he’d never offered to protect a woman like that before? How could he remind her that he’d only done it to protect her reputation-- a reputation that looked bad because of him and his past. No, he couldn’t put that on her.

Thankfully, Maseo was waiting at the door to their room when they made it to their floor. The man looked nervous at being out in the open and Tommy wondered how long Maseo had been waiting there for them to return.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little surprised you didn’t break into the room to wait,” Felicity said as she moved past him, clicking the door open. 

“I thought it a little rude, considering all you’re offering,” Maseo replied followed her in. “Thank you for this. You have no reason to help me, or to trust me. So thank you.”

Tommy brought up the rear, closing the door behind him and securely locking it. “Oliver trusted you, and you must have trusted him, at least enough that your son does.”

Maseo nodded, but it didn’t look like he was going to offer and reasoning to back up Tommy’s claims. Instead he turned to face Felicity. “Have you found any leads yet? Anything I can help with?”

Felicity shot a look to Tommy, their silent conversation playing across each other’s faces. He had the same concerns she did.

“Maseo, if the people you used to work for caught wind that you knew where Oliver could be, they wouldn’t stop until you told them everything right?” He didn’t want to be right. He wanted to crawl back into a world where people didn’t torture or kill to get what they wanted. Where his best friend wasn’t being hunted by this very type of people. But those days had sailed away a long time ago.

“It’s probably best I don’t know where you’re going,” he agreed with a sigh. “I mean I don’t even know where I should go.”

“Anywhere away from here would probably be best,” Felicity said, handing him a manilla envelope containing the documents she made up. “Not to be rude, but I think this city is eating you alive.”

Maseo nodded. “But if you hear anything you’ll--”

“There’s an untraceable satellite phone in there too,” Felicity said, cutting him off. “There’s a number programmed in as speed dial forty five. It will connect you directly to us.”

Maseo looked between the pair of them, and Tommy could see the words forming that he couldn’t say, all the ways he could try and thank them. 

“You kept me from a choice I’m sure I was going to regret one day,” Maseo finally replied, meeting Tommy’s eyes. For a moment it looked like the man would elaborate, but instead he shook his head. “If you find them, please tell Oliver how thankful I am to him. Good men let the burdens of the world crush them for the sake of others. And even if he’ll refuse to see it in himself anymore, he’s a good man.”

“I always thought so,” Tommy said, as Felicity shot him a little smile. “Take care of yourself Maseo.”

“You as well,” he said. “Because I fear your troubles may just be starting. And I hope the both of you are strong enough for what’s to come.”

He didn’t say anything else, as he walked to the door, letting himself out. Tommy and Felicity letting out an equal shaky breath as the door clicked behind him. 

He looked to her, seeing how shaken she was after Maseo’s visit. So Tommy did what he was known for. He turned on his charm and his smile, giving her a wink. “You ready to head to Lantau Island. A friend recently told me it’s beautiful there.”

He was surprised when she pulled him into a hug. It was soft and fierce, much like her. Before pulling back all the way Felicity planted a quick kiss to his cheek. 

“You’re a really good man too,” she said with a smile. Sighing before she stepped away. “Give me a few minutes to get ready?”

“No problem,” he replied as she left the room. His fingers ghosted over where her lips had just been, his smile growing even more.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys hello,   
> Tonight we want to start by saying our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the tragedy in Paris. If you feel like you need to talk you can always come talk to us. I myself am at foreverfelicityqueen on tumblr and Cassie is holysmoaksoliver also on tumblr.
> 
> So here is our latest chapter. As always thank you so much for your support and reviews and we hope you enjoy this chapter as much as we do.

Felicity didn’t know what she had expected from Lantau Island. Lush greens, vibrant flowers, sure. She had researched until her fingers ached earlier that morning. But pictures and reality were two very different things. She’d never been somewhere so breath-taking before. So full of history and culture, she could almost forget the real reason they’d come to Hong Kong.

“Did you know Tung Chung Fort was built in 1817 to thwart the opium trade and defend the coast from pirates?” She challenged Tommy, linking their arms to keep together in the rushing crowd.

“Sounds like someone memorized the Wikipedia article before leaving the office,” he teased, close to her ear. A little too close? Maybe? She wasn’t sure anymore. Tommy seemed to make her reconsider all her previous thoughts when it came to normal relationships. Not that they had a relationship. Just a friendship, a really close friendship.

“I printed it out actually,” she replied holding up the papers and then glaring at him when he rolled his eyes. “What, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

“But you look like such a tourist,” he groaned, reaching for the papers. “Do you want to look like a tourist?”

“Newsflash, everyone here is a tourist,” she countered, trying to cross her arms as best she could while still linked to him. It really only made their arms touch more. “And if you’re not nice to me, I won’t take any touristy pictures with you.”

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep Smoak,” he said, but he was smiling. “Okay so this Tung Chung Fort? Is that where you want to head first? Because pirates and opium sound awesome.”

She shook her head with a smirk. “I was thinking more along the lines of the Po Lin Monastery. It’s home of the Big Buddha. I think it would be cool to see before we go. Please?”

She wasn’t sure if the please would work on Tommy, considering it was usually him talking her into things, not that he had a hard time at that, but she still wasn’t sure he’d say yes.

“Fine,” he made a face she couldn’t help but laugh at. “You shouldn’t tease a man with pirates and drug smuggling.”

“Next time we’ll go to the centuries year old drug trade, I promise.”

She pulled Tommy along the path, weaving through the foot traffic along the way. It took them nearly an hour to reach the top of the plateau where the monastery sat, but it was a nice walk. And she actually found a steady rhythm of conversation with Tommy. Opening up in a way she hadn’t done in a while.

“So after that he disappeared from our lives,” she said taking a deep breath. “I haven’t seen or heard from him in over fifteen years.”

“Felicity that sucks. I’m so sorry,” Tommy replied, as he slowed his pace next to her.

“It’s not even that I miss him, because honestly I can’t really remember a time when we were together,” she sighed. “Photos in albums, fairy tales at bedtime of this man who always seemed like more myth than possible. I just wish I had something of him. Something more than, ‘oh you’re smart just like your dad’ or ‘that stubborn streak you get from your father’s side’.”

“I don’t want to say that I understand,” he said, his voice barely carrying over the rush of the crowd. “Because obviously it’s different. But I do get the wanting a fragment of someone. Something that you know without a shadow of a doubt that you found yourself. And the longer my mom’s… the longer she’s gone the less of those I feel like I have.”

“Like you wake up every day with another piece that’s floated away?” Felicity ventured and he nodded. Shaking her head she offered him a small smile. “We are quite the pair Merlyn. Here in a practical oasis, and we’re talking tragic backstories.”

“Hey you brought up family,” he took her hand giving it a gentle squeeze. “I was happy discussing which Robin Hood is the best.”

“A discussion you will never win,” she added, nudging his shoulder.

Tommy held his hands up in defense.  “Who knew there was such a thing as a Robin Hood connoisseur?” he questioned jokingly.

When the monastery finally came into view, both Felicity and Tommy fell silent, pausing to take it in. The ‘Big Buddha’ that sat atop the building was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.  Gold in the setting sun and a beacon of hope and peace, despite the difference of cultural backgrounds.

“I think it’s good that we came here,” Felicity said with a sigh.  She rolled her shoulders back, feeling herself relax a bit.  “Up in the main temple there are three buddhas, one for past, one for present and one for future.  It seems fitting, considering…”

Tommy nodded, but stayed quiet as they moved closer to the main building.  They seemed to silently agree not to take the nearly 300 steps up to the Big Buddha, but instead headed for the large temple to its left.

Felicity let herself get lost in the beauty and respite of the place, her mind not fully settling on one thing or another as they crossed the threshold into the temple.  Tommy hung back a bit near the entrance, but Felicity found herself moving forward, through the crowd toward the buddhas at the front of the room.  Brightly colored flowers gave off a sweet aroma and she slowed her pace, enjoying getting swept up in the ceremony of it all.

It was nothing like anything she’d experienced before.  But it was still wonderful to be surrounded by so much faith in something. Her mother used to tell her when she was a kid, that it didn’t really matter where you stood or who stood around you, all that mattered was the faith you put into your prayers. Felicity hoped her mother was right, because right now she and Tommy needed as much strength as they could get.

She was so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed someone slip next to her until they spoke.

“Beautiful isn’t it?”

Felicity’s head jerked up, because this was not Tommy. Unless her friend had changed drastically in the minutes since she’d last seen him.

The woman next to her was pretty, if a bit stern looking; her hair pulled back in a tight bun. But the smile she wore seemed too forced for the setting. Like she was trying too much, and one glance at her clothes gave her away as well. Not the relaxed outfit of a tourist, but a tailored charcoal suit.

“Yea,” Felicity replied barely above a whisper. She scanned the room for Tommy, satisfied when she saw him a few rows back, seemingly engrossed in the happenings of the temple.

“Interesting choice in buddhas,” the woman continued, eying Felicity closely. “From what I’ve noticed everyone seems to gravitate towards the one that represents something for their lives. The past to remember, the present for the fleetingness of now, and the future.” she pointed before them. “As a symbol of the road they have yet to walk.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Felicity asked, still cautious of the stranger. But the room was full of people, and she had no reason to distrust the woman.

She smiled to Felicity, a look that seemed to darken her features even more. “Something like that. But I like to visit all of them. ‘Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.’”  

“Søren Kierkegaard,” Felicity replied, recalling the Danish philosopher one of her college professors had been obsessed with.

“Very good,” the woman praised. “Not many can recognize a Kierkegaard quote so quickly. You must be exceptionally brilliant.”

“Only moderately,” Felicity said, taking a step away. She wasn’t sure why but everything about this woman had her brain firing on a red alert. She really just wanted to grab Tommy and leave. Luckily the woman’s focus was pulled to the other side of the room. And because Felicity had not worn six inch heels--really she walked up here in those things?!-- Felicity couldn’t see what had caught the woman’s eye.

“I must be going,” she said. “It was a pleasure speaking with you.”

“Sure,” Felicity replied, but the mystery woman was already several people out of earshot by then.

“You okay?” Tommy had finally worked his way over to her, a smile on his face. “You look a little out of it?”

She could tell him some random lady just gave her the heebie jeebies by quoting dead Danish men and standing too close with her towering heels. But the longer Felicity thought about it the sillier the idea sounded. So someone spoke to her, it was a free country. Okay well technically China wasn’t that free, but still, people are allowed to hold conversations out in the open with other people. So maybe she was reading too much into it.

“Yeah,” she finally said putting her arm through his again. “Let’s get out of here. Because I am starved.”

“Gee was it the long-ass walk up the giant steps that did you in?”

“Just for that you forfeit picking the restaurant.”

\---

It wasn’t supposed to be that hard. Ivan had chosen three others besides Oliver to go on the mission. It was a quick retrieval, even if the shipment wasn’t technically theirs to take. Oliver was starting to realize he’d really have to read more in between Anatoly’s lines. Because that information could have been useful at the beginning of the night.

They were under heavy fire the second they’d disarmed the security system, so much so that Oliver and one of the other men had to use two of the opposing gunmen as shields to get across the open space. And if it had just been him to worry about, he would have given up. Would have accepted fate and let these rivals shoot him dead. But Akio’s face was burned into his mind. Every time the thought crept to the surface, he reminded himself why giving up wasn’t an option. Akio’s survival rested on Oliver’s.

So he’d pushed himself, and pushed those around him. Because everyone had to make it out alive. If Oliver came back without any of the others the Bratva wouldn’t let him keep his life for long. He knew that much.

Ivan took a bullet to his calf while grabbing what Anatoly had sent them after. And because Oliver had been the closest, he pulled the man up and all but dragged him back to their truck. He had a vague idea, from the wounds he’d seen Shado treat, of what to do. And he’d yelled at the their driver to floor it.

The Knyazev’s had a team of private doctors on the payroll. Apparently when your

extended family kept sustaining injuries from mob related violence, it was best to have a set of trusted individuals at your beck and call.

Once they got Ivan to Anatoly’s private estate, the doctors were poised and ready to take over. Oliver made sure to move out of their way quickly, opting for sitting at the base of the stairs while the medics rushed past, setting Ivan up in one of the ground level guest rooms.

He’d contemplated calling Sofia, but he didn’t think that was wise. Mikhail and Anatoly were both pacing the corridor and Oliver wouldn’t feel right if he outed her relationship to her father and uncle. Plus there was the added fact that if he called Sofia she’d want to rush over here. And that would leave Akio either alone, or with a Bratva guard he didn’t trust.

“Oliver,” Anatoly said as he walked away from one of the younger mean who’d been with them earlier that night. The kid couldn’t be more than eighteen. “Yevgeny, tells me it was you who made sure Ivan got out alright. That you could have left him, but didn’t.”

He shook his head, rubbing his blood stained hands down his jeans. “Wouldn’t have been very brotherhood of me, now would it?”

“I’m paying you a compliment, you might work on taking them better, yes?” Anatoly clapped him on the shoulder once. “Come with me.”

Oliver stood up, following his boss into a large room off the side of the staircase. There was a desk in the far corner, that if Oliver wasn’t mistaken looked like mahogany. Something he’d never of known if his mother hadn’t spent the entire summer of his sophomore year of high school redecorating their home in only mahogany panelling. She had been on the phone for three days straight arguing with the designer when they’d delivered oak instead, a nightmare for all Queen’s really.

“It looks like Ivan will recover,” Anatoly said, pulling Oliver from his thoughts, as he refocused on the man. “The bullet hit a nerve, but our physician is certain he can repair any damage. Yet this does prove to be an inconvenience for the family.”

“I’m sure Ivan would apologize if he wasn’t more concerned with bleeding out right now,” Oliver snarked, cringing the second he said it. He was tired, overworked, and still bruised from earlier training sessions. Not that he didn’t mean his words, but he still knew where he stood. This wasn’t Ivo’s freighter, and Anatoly wasn’t just the guy in a cell next to him. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I expect such American ‘wit’ from you,” Anatoly replied as he leaned against the desk. “As I was saying, Ivan will be in strict recovery for the next couple of months. Sofia already likes you, so the transition should not be difficult.”

“You are offering me a bodyguard position? Earlier you told me I had a long way to go to earn my spot,” Oliver crossed his arms watching the man carefully. “Now you suddenly want me to take over watching someone that close to you?”

“First, I never said I didn’t trust you. That’s the problem. I know the kind of things you will do to protect others Oliver. But my family, my people they do not know that side of you. They do not know the things I went through on that ship,” he said with a nod. “And second, Ivan asked if you would take over his spot. He thinks Sofia will respond better to the change if it’s you rather than one of the others. She likes you Oliver, and she likes the boy. Plus the others will question you less now that you saved Ivan, someone we both know you don’t care much for.”

“What about the club?” Oliver questioned. Not that he cared, he kinda hated his job there. It had been too much of a reminder of the old Oliver. The Oliver who loved to party the night away with his best friend on one side and a pretty girl on the other.

“Yevgeny is more than happy to take your place there,” Anatoly replied with a shrug. “The kid likes the loud music. Personally, I think it rots the brain, but what can you do. So I can take this as a yes? You will accept the offer?”

He would get out of club duty and get to spend more time with Akio? Oliver really couldn’t think of a downside. “Of course, I accept.”

\---

They were on a mission. Tommy kept reminding himself. Because they were, even if searching for Oliver in Paris was less fruitful than Hong Kong, they were still had a job to do. Two technically. Because, holy crap had the Paris office been in shambles when they arrived. Okay not literally shambles. But their organization skills needed an overhaul. Tommy was starting to think that spending so much time with Felicity was rubbing off on his inner monologue.

Ever since they arrived in France, Tommy had been having a little bit of a focus issue. Because he knew why they were there, he did. The gravity of the situation was not lost on him. But he’d see Felicity so enthralled in architecture or the setup of MG’s Paris IT department, and he would forget for the briefest of seconds, he’d be so lost in her smile.

Even now, as they sat a cafe with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, it was hard to keep in mind the reason that they were there.  He might have told his father that there was one hundred percent nothing going on between him and Felicity, but Tommy was finding it harder and harder to make himself believe it was true.

“Hey,” Felicity waved a hand in front of his face, and he tried to keep his face as carefree as possible.

“Sorry, I lost focus there,” he said with a smile. Not that she’d catch the double meaning of his words. “You were saying?”

“Just that you shouldn’t give up hope,” she replied taking a sip from her coffee. Something he’d come to learn was almost as important to Felicity as her computers. “Just because we haven’t found a trace of Oliver yet, doesn’t mean we won’t.”

“I’m starting to think you’re like this beacon of light and happy thoughts,” Tommy said shaking his head. “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever met a more optimistic person.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” she smirked.

“As it was intended.” He looked away from her before he added something would have been really embarrassing, ducking his head into a local paper.

“Oooh,” Felicity reached for the paper, pulling it from his face, as she studied it over.

“No it’s okay I was done.”

She shot him a mocking glare. “This paper would be perfect.”

“Perfect for?”

“Our covert messages,” she replied. “It’s small, probably often overlooked by people. It’s perfect.”

“Um, I need more on my ticket to board this particular train of thought,” he said, as Felicity leaned across the table. So close he had to wonder what others might think of them.

“We talked about this. Bond marathon, secret spy things and how we’d do them classic and better,” she explained, with an almost giddy grin. “You complained the whole time about tuxes and bowties.”

“Ah yes,” he took a sip of his coffee, matching her whisper. “I need heavy reminders when alcohol is involved.”

“As a friend I’m gonna ignore that vast opening for a joke and refocus here,” she said setting the paper down. “Coded messages sound like a safety net. Something we should consider especially after everything Maseo told us.”

“You mean everything he didn’t tell us. And there’s one problem with you paper plan, only one of us knows any French,” he teased, refocusing on the article in front of him.

“What makes you think I don’t know French?”

“Um, because we’ve been here three days and you haven’t spoken a word of it.”

“Touché.”

“Pretty sure that’s Latin,” he countered, causing her to roll her eyes at him.

“Now who doesn’t know French?” she asked with a laugh.  “Come on Merlyn, get it together.”  She paused, grinning.  “Back to the issue at hand.  I don’t want to think anything is going to happen that would make us get separated, but what if it does?”

Tommy allowed the thought to linger only under hypothetical circumstances in his mind.  He couldn’t imagine anything happening to Felicity because of him-- because of their search for Oliver.  But as much as he didn’t want to admit it, the conversation they’d had with Maseo before leaving Hong Kong (all of the conversations with Maseo really…) had Tommy worried.  And if they happened to get separated, it would be better to have a contingency plan.

“Fine,” Tommy sighed finally, after a long moment of internal debate.  “I suppose you want to make up some secret code too, to identify the ad, so we know it’s from the other person?”

Felicity nodded, digging in her purse.  When she’d found a pen, she began writing abbreviations in the margins of the paper.  For as much time as they’d spent together the last several months, Tommy still found Felicity completely fascinating.  The way her mind worked made it obvious how she’d graduated MIT at only nineteen years old.  Part of Tommy felt jealous over her, wanting to keep her a secret, like the indie music groupies who always liked everything ‘before it was cool’.  He almost laughed out loud-- mentally comparing himself to a groupie.  He needed to pull himself together.  Besides, the larger part of him wanted the entire world to know how amazing Felicity was.

When she started giggling, Tommy glanced over her shoulder.  “Song titles,” she said, catching her breath.  “Smoke on the water.”  She was grinning now, and Tommy forced his eyes back to what she was writing.

“You have a complete sentence coming at some point?” he asked.  “Or is this going to be a guessing game?”

Felicity smacked his arm.  “Stop ruining my fun,” she said, taking a deep breath before delving in.  “Okay, so we need something that won’t attract attention.  Song titles would be perfect.  And there’s one in particular we can use to signify that it’s us-- with hints in the other titles as to where we are or should meet.”

“Smoke on the water…” Tommy repeated.

She nodded with a grin.  “Do you know that Merlyn is Welsh for ‘sea fortress’?”

The connection finally solidified in his mind.  Smoak and Sea Fortress.  It certainly was clever.  “I like it,” he said.  “Not too obtuse, but enough that most people will overlook it.”

“Exactly!” she said, clearly excited.  Then she cleared her throat and leaned in close again.  “And if we use only this paper, no one will have any reason to suspect that it’s us.”

Tommy smiled, despite himself.  “You really do love this spy stuff, don’t you?”

“I don’t care if it’s cheesy or low tech.  I’ve worked my way through enough encryptions to know that if there’s a digital trail, anyone can find it.  Low tech is the way to go on this.”

“Let’s just hope we never have reason to use it,” he answered with a sigh.  Because making plans like this should make him feel better, but all they did was put a pit in his stomach at the thought of losing Felicity that he could no longer ignore.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving week here in the US and you know what Kayla and I are most thankful for? It's YOU. Every week you guys read and leave comments and interact and love on this story that we're putting together and we couldn't be more thrilled for that. So thank you, each and every one of you. You're the best!
> 
> xo  
> Cassie

It was a bit of a change settling into the new rhythm of things. Oliver had to keep reminding himself that everything was working towards his goal of getting the Yamashiro’s away from Waller’s influence. But he couldn’t help the twist of the irony that set with him now.

He used to be Oliver Queen, someone who at one time or another in his life had his own bodyguards (at his mother’s request during a few shaky business deals). And now the roles were so far reversed. Now he was the one protecting someone else. It was his job to keep Sofia safe, and by extension Ana at times too. 

It was different than his duty to Akio. Someone who was under his care out of love and respect for the whole Yamashiro family, and because he knew what it was like to be separated from loved ones. With Sofia it was a job, and not one that he would have chosen under normal circumstances. Although nothing about Oliver’s life these past years would be anything he would have chosen. So in the grand scheme of things it probably didn’t matter much one way or another. It was the means to an end. Another pin in the roadmap of getting himself back home.

Because that was still his ultimate goal, after all. Even when it seemed like all hope was lost that he would ever embrace Thea again, or hear words of encouragement from his mother, or a snarky joke from Tommy. Oliver still found a way to believe it would happen. Without that hope, he was already dead.

“Oliver, Sofia said I am going to go to school,” Akio declared, stepping into the kitchen of their small apartment as Oliver poured the boy a bowl of cereal. He still hadn’t gotten the cooking thing down yet, and since they were running late to pick Sofia up, it would have to do for dinner.

“You don’t sound too happy about it,” Oliver replied, pulling the chair out just as Akio plopped into the seat.

“You said we were on a vacation. There’s no school on vacations.”

Oliver considered the boy’s claim. While that might be true, Oliver had never expected their exile to Russia to last more than a few days. He’d hoped they would have found Maseo and Tatsu long ago. “Eat your dinner,” Oliver said in reply.

Akio dutifully shoveled a spoonful of cereal in his mouth, his face contorted into a pout that would rival any Oliver had seen on Thea.

“And it’s not really school,” Oliver said with a sigh. “It’s just taking some lessons with Ana.”

Akio perked up a little at the mention of his friend. “And leaving the house?” he asked, seeming more interested by the moment.

Anguish bloomed in Oliver’s chest. How much damage could he subject this kid to? Feeding him cereal for dinner, not letting him leave the apartment, spending three months away from his parents in a foreign country while Oliver worked for the mob. Akio didn’t deserve any of it. If the boy walked away with any fond memories at all, Oliver would be thrilled.

“Yep,” Oliver said, his fist clenching at his side. “Lessons are at Anatoly’s house three times a week. They’ll be teaching you both in English.”

Akio wrinkled his nose but didn’t comment. When the bowl of cereal was gone, Oliver hurried them both out the door. They had to get Sofia and Ana from the restaurant and bring them to the hospital to see Ivan.

Oliver was proud of Sofia for coming clean to her father and Anatoly about her relationship with Ivan. It seemed as though she didn’t have any other choice once they saw how she reacted to the news of him being injured. She’d nearly passed out and was a sobbing mess on the floor of the restaurant when she’d overheard someone explain to Mikhail what had happened. Her father hadn’t been happy about the secret they’d been keeping, but in the grand scheme of things, the situation probably worked out better than Oliver had expected.

Once they’d crossed the street, Akio ran ahead, darting into the restaurant as a couple of patrons exited. Oliver murmured an apology to them in Russian as he passed and then followed Akio into the restaurant, eyes scanning the room, taking in his surroundings until he found the boy.

Akio had already found Ana and had scooted into a booth beside her as she read a book. The two shared a secret giggle over something and Oliver felt himself exhale. Maybe Akio was slightly more adjusted than Oliver gave him credit for.

“Oliver,” Sofia’s voice was soft behind him and he turned, finding her already in her coat with her purse over her shoulder. “I told Ivan we would be there already.”

Oliver nodded. “I know, I’m sorry. I lost track of time and had to get some food in the kid so he didn’t starve.” He sighed. “I didn’t exactly sign up for this kid raising thing.”

Sofia placed a hand on his arm, her eyes softening. “You are doing great with him.”

“Thanks,” he said with a sigh. “The kid questioned me about school today. Said it wasn’t something people did on vacation. And for the life of me I almost gave in, because he’s been through so much. But getting out of the house will be good for him. Doing something other than sitting around playing video games will be good for him. And it will make me feel better about the time we spent here when I finally get him back to his parents.”

“You will find them,” Sofia agreed. “Now we can go see Ivan?”

Oliver nodded, standing by the door as Sofia moved to Ana and Akio to help them gather their things.

It was a short ride to the hospital where they had moved Ivan once the doctors were sure his injuries were stabilized. They reached the wing he was in quickly, Sofia had already memorized the route to his room.

Nik and Yury stood watch outside the door, both men turning towards the group. Like solace in an otherwise boring night. 

“He’s been complaining for twenty minutes,” Nik said with a grin, as Sofia pushed the door open. Then he focused back on Oliver. “I thought we were gonna have to sedate him if she didn’t show up soon.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Oliver turned to Akio and Ana, crouching to meet their level. “Sofia might be a little while. Why don’t you take a seat next to Yury and play for a bit?”

“Yury can you go get us jello?” Ana asked turning her bright face to the stony guard. “Pleaseeee.”

In fairness Oliver suppressed his laughter better than Nik, but Yury still turned on them both with a scowl, knocking into Nik’s shoulder. 

“You guard the door then.” He pointed to Oliver before stalking down the hall. 

Oliver claimed his spot against the wall, looking over to Ana. “Exactly how many guards do you have wrapped around your finger?”

“Enough,” she replied flippantly, handing Akio a coloring book from her bag. “The trick is to rotate who you ask things from. That way Papa and Dyadya, don’t catch wind and only stick me with the grumpy ones.”

“Is that so?” Nik asked raising a brow to the girl. “And which side am I on, Ana?”

“Oh please you’re like putty in the hand, Nikolay,” Ana rolled her eyes, with a grin, as she settled back against her seat. “Oliver would be harder to get stuff out of than you.”

“That’s cause he’s awesome. Even if he doesn’t let me watch more than two hours of tv in a row,” Akio added with smile to Oliver, who returned it, however sad it might have looked. 

Oliver leaned against the wall, his eyes scanning the hallway like he’d become programmed to do. Head on a swivel was the name of the game when one was on the lookout for potential threats.

“How’s the new detail?” Nik asked, pulling Oliver’s focus.

Oliver shrugged, running his hand through his hair, nails scratching his scalp. “Beats watching drunk girls you can’t go home with,” he said, keeping his voice nonchalant. He still hadn’t completely figured Nik out yet, but it seemed most of the men in his new ‘brotherhood’ appreciated a good line about sex.

“That’s not really my style,” Nik answered, his eyes following one of the prettier nurses as she passed by, giving him a smile.

Oliver grinned, feeling a bit like Ollie again, if only for a moment. “No wonder you took the hospital detail,” he said, clamping his hand over Nik’s shoulder. “I knew it had to be more than just the jell-o keeping you here.”

“You ever have luck with the ladies?” Nik asked, his voice growing serious.

Oliver sobered quickly at the question, his smile disappearing as his mind immediately went to the last two women he’d cared anything for. “Not really, no,” was his only reply.

\---

Felicity was still sitting at the cafe, Tommy having left to head to the office. She told him she’d be fine alone. Their hotel was just around the block, and she was really enjoying the anonymity of sitting alone in Paris. It was the first time in her life she’d ever been this close to the Eiffel Tower, because she was not counting the one back home in Vegas.

The only issue she took with staying while Tommy went of to do actual work related things, is the thoughts of their last night in Hong Kong still scratching away at her. Ever since they left the monastery she couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on her. She would be lying if she said that it didn’t factor, at least in part, in her decision to make a secret form of communication with Tommy. She would rather be wrong and labeled paranoid than be right and not have a contingency plan.

Shaking the feeling of dread from her, Felicity found her eyes wandering back to the Eiffel Tower and the colorful cherry trees that surrounded it, their pink flowers in full bloom. She had always wanted to visit Paris in the spring time, and even though the conditions were less than ideal, she was going to make the most of her trip. She closed her laptop and slid it into it’s case, ready to find a bakery with fresh baguettes and probably horribly overpriced cheese. But it was Paris, so she would take them to the sprawling lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower and eat them and take ridiculous selfies.

Felicity pushed her chair away from the table, knocking into someone as something cold and brown spilled down the front of her shirt.

“I’m so sorry!” a voice said. “Désolé! Je suis désolé!” 

It was a flurry of motion as Felicity- flustered and wet- attempted to dry herself off. She spun in her chair, “Oh gosh! Was that my fault? I wasn’t looking--”

“No, it was totally on me,” the woman said, pushing sunglasses up onto the top of her head to survey the situation. “The thing just flew out of my hand. And look at that, I got you all covered in my iced coffee.” She was already reaching for the napkins on the table. “I’m just glad you speak English. What a pain to try to apologize in another language.”

Felicity nodded, still feeling overwhelmed, not to mention completely soaked, as the woman offered her a pile of napkins. Felicity’s previously light pink peplum top was now stained brown in splotches. It wouldn’t show on her jeans as badly, but the top was definitely ruined.

“I’m Lyla, the biggest klutz ever, apparently,” the woman said, meeting Felicity’s eyes.

Felicity took the napkins, dabbing at her top to at least soak up some of the wetness, even if the color didn’t all come out. “I’m Fel--” she paused. She and Tommy hadn’t gone over the protocol of introducing themselves outside the office. She wasn’t sure what was safe and what wasn’t. “Felicity,” she decided finally.

“It’s so nice to meet another American,” Lyla said, taking a seat in the empty chair beside Felicity. “Is it just me or does it always feel really….”

“Judgey?” Felicity finished.

“Yes!”

“Not just you.” Felicity smiled at the woman, despite the circumstances. Lyla was right, it was nice to meet another American. Someone besides Tommy to talk to-- not that she didn’t enjoy spending time with Tommy. Just that she was seriously lacking in the female interaction department lately.

“Can I buy you a new top?” Lyla asked. “Please? I feel absolutely terrible about ruining such a pretty shirt.”

“Totally not necessary,” Felicity said, eyes dropping to her laptop bag to make sure nothing had happened to her baby. Thankfully it was safe and coffee-free. Her eyes went back to Lyla, whose face had fallen at Felicity’s answer. “But I wouldn’t mind some company in picking out a new one?”

“Great,” Lyla said, perking back up again. “I found this adorable little boutique the other day. Trendy but not too terribly over priced, considering it’s Paris. Want to see it?”

Felicity nodded, pulling her bag over her shoulder and adjusting her glasses. “That sounds great,” she said, gesturing for Lyla to lead the way. “So are you here for business or pleasure?”

Lyla and Felicity headed away from the cafe, walking through the throngs of crowds. “Business, sadly,” she answered. “Picking up some sensitive cargo for my boss.”

Felicity wrinkled her nose a little. “Well, it’s nice that you have some down time to enjoy the city. It’s my first trip to Paris.”

“Oh?” Lyla questioned. “Business or pleasure for you?”

Felicity’s phone rang with an incoming text from Tommy, who was apparently not enjoying that he had to spend more time in the office than Felicity did, if the completely miserable face he was making in the photo he sent her had anything to say about it.

“Is that your boyfriend?” Lyla asked, smiling at the photo.

“What? No,” Felicity answered, clearing her throat and pushing her phone back into her pocket. “I mean, it’s not like that… we’re just--”

“Give it time,” Lyla answered. “You are in the city of love, after all.” She gave Felicity a quick wink. “Oh! Here it is!” she said, pointing to a storefront. The front door was propped open with an urn spilling over with flowers and the brightly colored garments beckoned Felicity from the racks within.

“Oooh,” Felicity said, barely containing her excitement. “I told myself I wouldn’t spend money on clothes in Paris. But how do you come to Paris and not spend money on clothes?”

Lyla grinned at her side as the two women made their way into the store. “I knew you’d love it here. It’s totally your vibe.”

“Clothes in Paris,” Felicity said dreamily. “It’s every woman’s vibe.”

Lyla laughed, pulling a dress from a rack and holding it up to her reflection in a nearby mirror. Felicity meandered through, not letting any one thing grab her attention. That was until she found the most stunning red dress with a sweetheart neckline and a halter strap that crossed over the front creating a cutout. It reminded her of a pin-up dress from yesteryear and she knew immediately that she had to try it on.

“What do you think of this one?” Felicity asked, even if she already knew it was a bombshell of a dress.

“Completely stunning,” Lyla answered. “Your not-boyfriend will forget his own name with you in that dress.”

Felicity felt herself blush and turned away, back to the racks of amazing (and not terribly over priced, just as Lyla said) clothes. The dress was a no-brainer, even if it wasn’t for Tommy’s benefit. Because what woman went to Paris and didn’t bring back a gorgeous dress?

“A new top,” Felicity said to herself, popping the last syllable as she browsed.

“So you never mentioned if your selfie buddy was here with you or not,” Lyla said, her voice raised to cross the distance between them as they made their way around the store.

Felicity’s nose wrinkled a little at the description of Tommy. She hadn’t even identified to herself yet what they were to each other, so it was a little weird hearing someone else label him as her anything. “He is in Paris, yes,” Felicity answered, trying to keep her tone neutral. “We are here for work. Upgrading some systems in an international office.”

“Well you picked the best time of the year for it,” Lyla said with a smile. “Springtime in Paris is the only way to see the city.”

Felicity nodded, picking up a few tops and adding them to her growing number of things to try on. “I haven’t been out of the office much the last few days. Today’s my first real break in the workload.”

“Only to have some klutz interrupt your day off.”

“Well, it helped me justify some shopping, so I won’t hold it against you,” Felicity said with a wide smile.

They shopped for a few a while longer. Felicity was proud that she only let herself get three new tops, a new skirt, and the to-die-for dress. All in all she spent way less than she would have imagined at a boutique. 

“This was so much fun,” she said as she and Lyla exited the shop. “I mean really it was nice to have a ‘girl’s day out’ sorta thing.”

“Agreed,” Lyla laughed, as she checked her phone, a small frown on her face. “I’m due for a meeting within the hour. But if you’re in need of a new friend to spill another drink on you tomorrow, I like to visit that cafe everyday around the same time. We could meet up for lunch if you’d like?”

“I’m good with lunch, but we might want to get you a drink with a lid though,” Felicity teased. “I think it would be safest on my wardrobe.”

“I can live with that,” Lyla said, as she hailed a cab. “So same spot, say 1:30? You can even bring the not-boyfriend, if you like.”

Felicity nodded, giving her a tight smile as she tried to suppress the nervousness that popped up every time Lyla mentioned Tommy. “I will see you then.”

“Bye Felicity.”

She waved as Lyla got into the car, speeding off down the street. She smiled to herself, enjoying the spring air. All earlier feelings of being followed faded with the breeze. 

\---

With Ivan stuck in the hospital, Nik became Oliver’s new sparring partner. It wasn't hard to see why the kid came back to Russia. He had a hunger in his eyes.

Nik fought the way Oliver did. He fought from a fire in his belly that couldn't be contained. He pushed himself with abandon, never backing down, never giving in. He fought from the anger and loss built up inside him. It must have been what drew Oliver to Nik in the first place-- the shared need of doing anything to survive. Which is when Oliver came up with his idea.

“Are you kidding me?” Nik questioned when they entered the practice gym a few doors down from their previous location. 

Oliver had asked Anatoly if he could start training with a bow, because honestly he always felt better with one versus a gun. The man had agreed, supplying Oliver with enough bows, arrows, targets to fill his small one bedroom apartment. He couldn’t help the smile when he lifted the bow for the first time in months. Feeling how right it was in his grip. 

“What? Scared we finally found something you can’t beat me at?” Oliver slung a quiver over his shoulder, getting into position. 

Nik shook his head with a laugh, as he stepped forward. “I think you’re all talk.”

“That so?” Oliver nodded to the bag of tennis balls sitting at their feet. “Dump ‘em out. But drop them off the ground.”

The younger man shot him a confused look but did as instructed, dumping the contents from about chest height. Oliver didn’t waste time. The second he saw the last ball leave the bag he got to work, shooting one arrow after another. He hadn’t practiced like this before, considering the island didn’t have much in the way of recreational items. But it was easy enough, a little too easy.

The look on Nik’s face was priceless, making Oliver wish he’d had a camera. He never tired of people being impressed with his skills with a bow and arrow. He was stretching muscles he hadn’t used in months and it felt good.

Oliver nailed the last ball against the back wall with a satisfied sigh. He gestured to another bag of tennis balls with the arrow he’d already nocked into the bow. “Higher,” he said.

Apparently the awe had worn off, because Nik rolled his eyes, even if he did as Oliver instructed. Oliver hit each and every shot until his quiver was down to one. Nik moved slightly to catch the last tennis ball in his hand. 

“I think I finally figured you out,” Nik said with a smirk, rolling the ball between both hands. “You clearly like to show off.”

Oliver quirked a brow, nocking a final arrow and releasing it before Nik could move. The arrow skewered the tennis ball in Nik’s hand before lodging itself in the far wall. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Oliver said, lowering the bow to his side.

He took a deep breath and released it slowly, feeling the surge of energy from the exercise. It was making him feel like himself again, although he couldn’t pinpoint the moment when he’d started feeling most like himself with a bow. He was sure that some psychology professor from one of the four colleges he dropped out of would say that it was post traumatic stress, or that he’d come to identify as an archer as means of survival. But no matter the reason, he relaxed for the first time in months as the bow rested at his side.

“You’re one cocky SOB with that thing, aren’t you?” Nik asked, pulling a skewered ball from the wall by the arrow it was stuck to. He eyed it carefully. “Not a bad shot though.”

Oliver nodded. “Necessity brings out a side in people that I hope you never have to experience,” he said solemnly.

“So serious,” Nik chided, pouting and furrowing his brow. “So did you bring me down here to teach me, or just to be a showoff?”

Oliver shrugged. “Either,” he answered with a grin. This was exactly what he needed after months of never really fully exhaling, of always looking over his shoulder, of always being on guard. If he’d known a bow in his hand would have lessened all of that, he would have asked Anatoly for one months ago.

He offered the bow to Nik, who lifted it carefully, testing the tension on the string.

“Just be glad I’m not going to teach you the way I learned,” Oliver said with a grimace. “Days of slapping a bowl of water.”

“That sounds horrible,” Nik said. He reached for an arrow from the quiver on the ground beside them, but Oliver stopped him.

“Just because you’re not hitting water doesn’t mean you’re ready for an arrow.”

Nik huffed, rolling his eyes. “What a killjoy.”

A couple hours in and to his credit Nik wasn’t complaining. At least not as much as Oliver had when Shado had started his training on the weapon. But Oliver shook off those thoughts. He couldn’t let himself get too close to memories from the island. They always led him to nights with Shado and Slade, and then later Sara too. And he didn’t have the luxury of falling apart over his past. Not now, maybe not ever. 

“You did good,” Oliver said taking the bow from Nik and setting it down. “How’s the arm?”

“It feels like someone put it in a vice grip for nine hours straight,” he replied, rotating his shoulder. “Starting to think your water thing might have been a better method.”

“Same muscle pull, the only difference is you get soaked,” Oliver leaned back against the table, taking a long drink for him sports bottle. “Mind if I ask you something?”

“I guess we’ll see after you ask,” Nik joked, playing with a loose tennis ball. 

“Your mom,” he started, gauging Nik’s reaction for any tension. He didn’t want his only ally in the Bratva to start resenting him like the rest. “I was just wondering how long it’s been, since she, you know?”

“I was four,” Nik replied, not meeting his eyes. “She used to work at Anatoly’s restaurant after my dad left for the States. I barely remember her though.”

“What happened?”

“A rival of the Bratva decided to send a message, bombed the place in the middle of dinner rush,” Nik said, a hint of something in his voice that Oliver couldn’t quite place. “That’s when Anatoly’s wife died too. She was always at the restaurant, worked close with my mother from what I’m told. After that Anatoly and Mikhail got scared that the rivals might make another attempt. So they shipped the younger generation to the States until things calmed down. I only remember it because Sofia stayed with me and my father for about a year after that.”

Oliver sighed, not quite sure what to say in response. He hadn’t thought Nik would tell him much, he certainly hadn’t imagined he’d get a history lesson soaked with family back story too. And he wished he could find the right thing to say, something that might make him look like less of a dick for even asking. But Nik was shaking it off, his smirk growing again.

“Anyway, that’s why I like Alina so much,” Nik stood, stretching his shoulder more. 

“The nurse?” Oliver casted him a confused look, because that had not been the direction he thought the conversation was going.

“The one and only,” he replied. “She’s not involved in this. I mean she’s smart so she probably knows we aren’t all some giant extended family who looks out for each other. But she has no ties to the Bratva. And it’s reassuring to know that with all the violence that happens in the city, it doesn’t touch everyone.”

“It might one day,” Oliver said, not even really registering his words before he let them slip. “You said it yourself, rivals attacked once, they could do it again.”

Nik turned to him, the same quiet rage Oliver had connected with sitting in the man’s eyes. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Nik had that look again, but this time Oliver placed it within seconds. Because he’d seen the look before, on Slade after Shado died. The look of vengeance burning at one’s core and driving every choice made from there on out. It was a dangerous look on anyone, but on someone as young as Nik it was both lethal and heartbreaking. He never had a choice with this. The desire to join the brotherhood, the itch that he’d heard some of the others describe. It wasn’t just pushed on them from a young age. It was etched into their souls. The pain and the anguish that plagued their lives was used to teach the younger ones that the path they were on was the only path to justice. That to avenge the evil deeds done to them, more evil deeds had to be done. 

“Aren’t you gonna be late?” Nik asked, pulling Oliver from his thoughts.

He glanced at the clock, Russian expletives slipping from his lips. He was supposed to pick Sofia up from the hospital in twenty minutes, relieving Yury of his shift. “Yes I am. See you tomorrow.”

Oliver left Nik in the training room with a bow and a full quiver and a hunger for vengeance so deeply rooted that it was a wonder the man had as much humanity left as he did.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies. I hope everyone had a great week, and a good Thanksgiving here in the States. Today is the last day of NaNoWriMo, so for anyone who wrote like crazy all month, I want to say weather you managed 50 words or 100,000, you're amazing.   
> A little note about our story here, for the purposes of our AU, we've made our own timeline of events and Dyla haven't divorced yet.   
> Enjoy!

“Stupid, idiotic, search. Why won’t you spit out anything useful?”

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh from the other side of their hotel room that morning, as Felicity growled at her computer. Like actually growled. It was kind of adorable. Not that he would tell her that, or even admit to that aloud.  Ever.

“Laughing at people who have the capabilities to make your digital life a living hell, isn’t a wise choice Merlyn,” she said turning to face him, her eyebrows kinked in annoyance.

“You and I both know you only use your powers for the good of mankind,” he said as he stood and walked over to her. The facial recognition software was up on her screen running again.

He rested his hands on her shoulders, and she seemed to relax under the pressure, a deep sigh escaping her lips.

“I’m starting to think I will never find this glitch,” she said leaning her head back to look up at him. “I mean we’ve been here a week.  The program is running like it’s on MS-DOS, it’s full of dirty data and the one match we had didn’t pan out at all. Your father’s going to expect us to move on soon, but we don’t have another stop planned.”

“Hey it’s okay,” he said kneading his fingers into her shoulders. “I’m not worried. You know why?”

“Because you’re brain is hardwired to be the polar opposite of mine?” she ventured the tired crease growing in between her eyes.

He shook his head. “No. Because you are the most brilliant, talented, woman I have ever known. If anyone can figure this out, it’s gonna be you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she said, but at least she was smiling again. He hated it when Felicity wasn’t smiling.

He was working on a real witty comeback when her phone chirped with a text message. He leaned closer to see who it was, not that he was trying to pry.  But since they left Starling City, he’d seen the woman have exactly one phone conversation and that was with her mother.

He caught the name Lyla, and sighed. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, which he told Felicity about twenty times after meeting her at lunch. It was more that they didn’t have the luxury of trusting anyone, and certainly not some chatty brunette who seemed way too interested in his and Felicity’s relationship. Plus the whole ‘I spilled coffee on you’ thing? Wasn’t that a little cliched? How many people could say that’s how they met a friend? So yeah Tommy was a little suspicious of Lyla. But Felicity wasn’t, or at least not to the point where she voiced it to him, so he was trying to be positive about the woman.

“Hey this is so funny, Lyla’s husband came to surprise her,” Felicity said with a smile.

Now that was weird. He hadn’t noticed a ring on Lyla’s finger, and as far as he knew she hadn’t mentioned a husband, at least not when Tommy was present. “Lyla’s married?”

“No she calls random men her husband for fun,” Felicity retorted. “They want to have dinner with us tonight. Let’s say yes.”

“To a double date with a woman we barely know and a man we’ve never met?” And he wasn’t even going to mention the fact that double dating, when you were not in fact dating seemed very very strange.

“Oh let’s not think of it as a double date. It’s _obviously_ not a date _date_. Just dinner with people who are not just you and me. It could be fun.”

“It could also be tedious and vile,” he countered, which he knew better than to do, because the second he spoke she slapped him in the chest. “Ow, okay fine. We’ll go to dinner.”

“Thank you,” she grinned, typing away on her phone.

He shook his head, stepping back from her chair. He was still worried about Lyla. Okay maybe worried was the wrong word. It was more like caution. He’d lived in the public eye his whole life. And he had learned, it’s not just the cameras you have to watch out for. It’s the people. People will cozy up to you, they’ll joke and they’ll smile, and tell you exactly what you want to hear from them. And then they’ll turn at the very instant they get what they want. Tommy never trusted people, not outside of the close knit group he had. Because the risk of getting burned by someone was never worth it to him. But again, Felicity trusted Lyla, and he trusted Felicity. So for now, he’d go along with things. But the second anything started to seem off, he would pull Felicity far from it. He couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk her.

\---

“Oliver,” Akio said, his voice sounding weak and dejected. “I don’t feel well.”

Oliver rolled over on the couch. Akio hovered close, but not right over him, with a frown on his face, as he clutched a blanket over his shoulders. He looked pale and he shivered under the covers.

“What’s wrong buddy?” Oliver asked as he sat up, because what was he supposed to ask a kid when they weren’t feeling well. He was trying to recall memories of Thea when she was younger, but the only thing he could conjure was when she had chickenpox, and their mother had all but quarantined the poor seven year old to her room. Akio didn’t look like he had any spots, so at least they could rule that one out.

“My stomach hurts,” Akio said, his teeth chattering.  “And I’m cold.”

“Is it like hungry hurt or something different?” Oliver asked, stretching and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  He hadn’t been sleeping well lately and it was starting to catch up to him.

Because apparently guarding Sofia wasn’t the only thing Anatoly had in mind for him. Oh no, besides doing his job, and training with Nik, his boss had insisted that Oliver start learning more conversational Russian and the history that came with the Bratva. And considering Oliver had never really been traditionally book smart, it was taking more effort than he thought it would, leaving less time for sleep than usual.

“Not hungry,” Akio shook his head, and Oliver could just tell from his face the kid was in pain.

Oliver held his hand up, placing the back of it against Akio’s forehead, something he remembered Raisa and Moira doing to him and Thea countless times when they were younger. It only took him a couple seconds to tell that Akio was burning up. Fantastic, now he had let the kid get sick too. Worst child care giver ever.

“Okay buddy,” Oliver stood resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder, as he looked around for his keys. “I’m gonna take you to see a doctor. And whatever’s wrong they’ll make it better okay?”

Akio nodded, as he teetered forward, kinda falling into Oliver’s side. “Thank you, Oliver.”

“No problem, bud. Let’s go.”

Twenty minutes later they had finally arrived at the hospital. Oliver had called Anatoly on the way, not that he wanted or needed more of a reason to be indebted to the man, but Anatoly knew doctors who wouldn’t ask questions. And it was probably best to not get himself or Akio into a hospital computer system.

Luckily for them, Anatoly had called ahead and when they arrived he found Sofia waiting at reception for them.

“I was visiting Ivan when Anatoly asked me to meet you,” she explained as they were led to an exam room. “He said you might need help with translation.”

“Thank you,” Oliver whispered, giving her a small smile. She was far too kind, leaving Oliver to wonder who he’d be more indebted to by the end of this: Anatoly or Sofia.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, as she took a seat next to Akio. “How are you, detenysh?”

“I’m thirsty. How much longer do you think it’ll be?” Akio asked, a frown creased into his face that really broke Oliver in two.

He didn’t want to see his little friend so miserable. But there really wasn’t much more he could do for Akio right now. “Probably a few more minutes bud. Do you want me to get you something to drink, water or juice?”

Akio nodded helplessly. “Maybe some water.”

“Will you guys be alright while I’m gone?” Oliver looked to Sofia. He was a little curious where her night guard was, considering he knew good and well what happened the last time she slipped her guard detail. “Should I call someone to stand with you?”

“We’ll be fine,” Sofia replied as she carded her fingers through Akio’s hair, comforting the boy. “Yury and Nikolay are just down the hall if a problem arises.”

Oliver nodded, shooting Akio a reassuring smile before slipping out of the room. Despite her words Oliver still scanned the hallway, noting that the two guards were indeed at the end near the window, both enthralled in conversation. Yes that would bode well for his nerves, neither of the men seemed particularly alert to their duties. He’d have to make it a quick trip to the water.

“Excuse me, Iznvinite,” he caught a nurse as she passed. Smiling when he realized it was Alina, the nurse Nik had a bit of a crush on. Not that Oliver had spoken to her before now, but he had a knack for never forgetting a face.

“Hello,” she greeted.

A wave of relief crashed through him, learning Russian was one thing, but putting it into practice after only a few weeks was not as easy as it sounded, and he thought it sounded pretty damn hard.

“Hi,” he smiled again. “Which way to a vending machine, or cafeteria? I just need to get a water, for my… friend.”

“You’re the one with the little boy,” she noted returning the smile. “I saw you a while back with the Knyazev girls.”

Oliver nodded but hesitated to say anything. He would always be on edge with people, always afraid to reveal too much. After his experiences over the last three years, it wasn’t something that was likely to ever go away. But Nik said himself, Alina wasn’t wrapped up in the drama of the Bratva, she didn’t know of the darkness the world really held. So he took a breath of relief before he spoke again. “Yea, he’s a good kid. He’s sick though, and since I don’t have a medical degree the best I can do is a bottle of water.”

The doctor walked up to the door, regarding Oliver first. “You have boy yes?”

“I guess that’s my cue to get back in there,” Oliver said looking back at Alina.

“I’ll bring a water for your friend,” Alina said, squeezing his shoulder. “You should go back inside.”

“Thanks,” Oliver replied, as he followed the doctor in.

The exam took about fifteen minutes, Alina brought in the water a few minutes into the process, waving to Sofia before she left.

“You know her well?” Oliver asked, letting the doctor do his thing.

Sofia shrugged, shooting him a smile. “A little, we went to school together. She’s nice. Why?”

“Cool it with the grinning, it’s not like that,” Oliver whispered, his eyes on Akio. “Nik has a thing for her.”

“Is this that American guy code I’ve heard so much about?” Sofia replied, nudging his arm. “Nikolay is a good soldier, and once upon a time, I believe he was a good man too. But what happened to his mother, and his commitment to the Brotherhood, it’s taken a toll on his soul.  He is ruthless against his enemies.  Alina is nice but I am not sure she is equipped to save him.”

“From the Bratva?” Oliver questioned a brow raised.

But Sofia shook her head. “From himself.”

Before Oliver could replied, the doctor had finished up, his words coming out in a rapid string, and Oliver barely caught a word, even if half of it was English.

“He says it’s just the flu,” Sofia explained. “He can give you medicine for Akio, but mostly he just needs rest for a few days.”

“Thank you,” Oliver said to the doctor, shaking his hand. “Spasibo.”

“Pozhaluysta,” the doctor replied, before handing Oliver a piece of paper, and ruffling Akio’s hair before he left.

Oliver breathed a deep sigh of relief. The flu he could handle, well theoretically. He was just happy it wasn’t something more serious.

“Come on, bud, let’s get this filled, and then get you to bed,” Oliver said, helping Akio hop down from the table.

“I can go to the restaurant and bring you some soup,” Sofia said, with a smile at Akio. “I just need to get Yury from guard, and I’ll meet you at your place.”

“Sofia thank you, really,” Oliver said, his hands resting on Akio’s shoulders, as they exited the room. “You are beyond kind to both of us.”

“It’s not hard,” she replied. “I will see you both later.”

\---

Felicity had been sensing something off with Tommy the last couple of days.  She wasn’t sure if it was just that he had mentioned being irked and feeling followed since they’d been in Paris.  It was probably for the best that she hadn’t told him she’d felt it too.  Perhaps it was something else altogether that was bothering him.  Either way, Felicity was determined to get to the root of the issue with Tommy-- hopefully before they met up with Lyla and her husband for dinner.

During the afternoon, Felicity had chatted with Lyla some about where they might go for dinner.  Lyla had suggested a quaint but fancy bistro that she knew of and insinuated that Felicity should take the opportunity to wear her new dress.  There may or may not have been several winky faces accompanying said insinuating text message.  But having another woman to talk to did begin to put some things into perspective where she and Tommy were concerned.  Maybe it was time to test the waters, so to speak.

Because she and Tommy were _something_.  Even if they hadn’t figured out what that something was yet.

She was in the bathroom working on getting her hair into a manageable up-do when the hotel room door clicked shut.

“Felicity?” Tommy called.

She poked her head out giving him a bright smile.  “Hey there.  How’s the office doing today?”

Tommy sighed, dropping into an armchair.  There was something in his countenance that looked defeated and she moved out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall as her fingers worked her hair into a braid at the crown of her head.

“It was great until my father called,” he answered, rubbing a hand over his brow.  “I think he might be getting suspicious of what we’re here for.”

“How could he have any idea?” she asked, winding the end of the braid into an elastic band and then crossing her arms over her chest.  “I’ve been ultra careful to keep everything on lockdown.  Nothing is traceable.”

Tommy frowned.  “I don’t know.  I just get this feeling like he knows more than he’s saying.  Plus he mentioned taking a weekend trip out at some point to meet up.”

“We will just have to find a way to stall him,” she replied.  “Either that or we create another legitimate issue.  He can come out as we resolve it and confirm for himself that we’re hard at work for his company and then he’ll go back home.”

“I guess so,” Tommy said with a sigh.

“This isn’t your way of trying to back out of dinner with Lyla and John tonight is it?” Felicity frowned.  She knew he hadn’t been thrilled about the idea, but she hadn’t thought he was that set against it.

“No, no,” Tommy answered.  “I may be a spoiled son of a billionaire but that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of doing things I might not particularly want to do.”

Felicity rolled her eyes and headed back into the bathroom.  “You’ll have a lot more fun with a positive attitude,” she called in a sing-song voice.

Tommy appeared in the doorway of the bathroom a moment later, his arm up over his head as he rested against the door frame.  “So what’s the dress code for this dinner tonight?”

“Swanky.”

“Is that a technical term?”

Felicity grinned.  “Highly technical in fact.”  Once she was satisfied that her hair was securely in place (the loose french braid now cascading over one shoulder) she turned away from the mirror to face him.  “Come on, Merlyn.  There’s something wrong with this picture if I am trying to convince you that this will be a good time.”

Tommy held up his hands in self defense.  “No convincing needed.  I was just adm…”

Felicity caught his eyes when his voice trailed off, and she gave him a curious squint.  “You were just what?”

He cleared his throat.  “Deciding which suit to wear,” he said, his eyes falling away from hers.  

Felicity watched him for a moment, but turned back to the mirror once he disappeared back into the room.  At least now she knew for sure that she wasn’t imagining whatever was going on between them.  Even if neither of them was quite ready to acknowledge it yet.

She went back to work, quickly applying neutral makeup to compliment the stand out red dress that she had planned.  Once the eyeliner and mascara were set, she closed the door, separating her from Tommy so she could change.  The red dress still clung to her in all the right places, and the strappy black heels she’d found the same day would be the perfect match.  There was just one problem.  Felicity hadn’t zipped up the dress in the store, and she wasn’t sure she could get it all the way up herself.

The thought of asking Tommy brought a wave of butterflies to her stomach.  It was silly, she knew.  After all, they’d slept almost every night in Hong Kong in the same bed together.  Their hotel in Paris had two beds (she wasn’t sure if it had been intentional on Tommy’s part or not…), but even still, the thought of having him zip her dress up still made her stomach swoop unexpectedly.

She pulled the zipper up as far as she could reach behind her back and then reached over her shoulder.  Her fingertips barely grasped the zipper and she pulled, only to have it snag in the fabric.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Felicity swung the door back open and peeked her head out.  “Tommy?” her voice was meek, almost hoping he didn’t hear her.

“Hmm?” he hummed back in question.

“I think I might need your help?”  She felt silly for being so weird about it.  Many men had seen considerably more of her.  Well, maybe not many-- but certainly other men had.

“With?” he asked, appearing in front of her.

Felicity retreated back into the bathroom and turned around as Tommy pushed the door open the rest of the way.  “It’s stuck,” she said with a pout.

“The…”

“The zipper,” she glanced over her shoulder, finding Tommy looking slightly dazed.  “Can you fix it?”

He cleared his throat and took a cautious step forward.  “I-- I can try,” he said.

Felicity stood up straight and closed her eyes, bracing herself for his touch. It took forever for her to feel him standing behind her, his fingertips barely grazing the skin of her back, causing a flush to run through her veins. She sucked in a breath, trying to keep herself from shivering, because she didn’t need Tommy to realize just how much of an effect he could have on her.

After a few minutes of fumbling, he guided the zipper upward. He exhaled, causing the few loose strands of her hair to dance into her cheek, but it only made Felicity smile.

“There we go,” he said clearing his throat. “Managed to save the dress.”

She laughed as she turned to face him, hoping above all else that she wasn’t blushing too much. “My hero.”

He smiled back at her, and Felicity was not oblivious to how close they were. Really close, like she could lean in and kiss him, close. Not that she was going to do that. Even if she kind of really wanted to. She nodded, stepping back a little, which proved to be a mistake because she tripped on the bathroom mat.

Tommy’s arm shot out, catching her before she could crash to the ground and possible rip the the most gorgeous dress she’d ever owned.

“There you go, saving me again,” she joked, as he righted her.

“Yeah, I mean it’s no big deal,” he nodded, a little breathless. Okay not breathless, because Tommy didn’t have a reason to be. And she really needed them to get out of this bathroom.

“We’re going to be late for dinner,” Felicity finally said and Tommy finally let go. But he didn’t take his eyes off her.

He was smiling too, as he shook his head. “You’re right, we should get going.”  Finally he tore his eyes away from her and stepped back out of the bathroom.

Felicity let out a sigh and followed him.  She stepped into her heels and buckled them quickly as Tommy fixed his tie and shrugged into his jacket.

“Shall we?” he asked, motioning for the door.

She nodded, tucking her phone into her purse and heading out into the hallway.  She stopped just outside the door to wait for Tommy, but he was right on her heels and nearly bumped into her.

“Sorry,” she said with a breathy laugh.

“My fault,” he said at the same time.

“Are you nervous?  I feel a little nervous.”  The words tumbled out before she could stop them, and then she felt foolish for even mentioning it.

“Why would we be nervous?” Tommy asked.  “It’s just dinner.”

Felicity grinned.  “Your three little words?” she asked, a single brow ticking up.

“No, I didn’t mean it like--”

“You didn’t.” She agreed matter-of-factly.

“I mean that’s just a line I used to--”

“I know.”

“And this isn’t--”

“It isn’t?”  This time her response was more of a question, even if she hadn’t meant for it to be.

“You said yourself it isn’t like it’s a _date_ date.”

Felicity nodded.  “I do believe those were my words.”

They stopped the elevator and both reached out to press the button, only to draw back so that their hands wouldn’t touch.  “You can,” Felicity gestured.

Tommy nodded, pressing the button to call the elevator.  They stood in silence as it made its way up to their floor.  The doors finally opened and they stepped inside the empty car.  Tommy selected the ground floor and Felicity racked her brain for something they could talk about that would break the tension.

“Felicity, before we leave this elevator I have something I have to tell you,” Tommy said, pulling her attention toward him.

Felicity’s brows knit together and she nodded.  “Okay…”

“I’m pregnant.”

Felicity’s face split in a wide grin just before a bout of laughter erupted from her.  Tommy actually had to link her arm through his to keep her from falling over she was laughing so hard.  It didn’t take much, only that one small moment to break the tension between them, letting the comfortable ‘something’ between them take over again.  By the time the elevator doors opened at the ground level, Felicity had mostly composed herself again, and she leaned into his side as they walked through the lobby and out into the cool Paris evening.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again lovelies! Happy Monday! Everyone ready for the winter finale this week? It's going to be painful, we're sure. To celebrate we bring you a bit of craziness of our own. We hope you enjoy. Thanks again for all the love and support. We appreciate it so much! xoxo- Cassie

Dinner wasn’t going as bad as Tommy had originally anticipated. In fact, Lyla and John were easy to get along with and the four of them had settled into an nice and flowing conversation. But there was still something scratching at the back of Tommy’s mind, telling him to be on guard. He didn’t know why, especially when Felicity seemed so at ease around them. But it was a feeling he couldn’t shake. And if this mission to find Oliver had taught Tommy anything, it was to never ignore his intuition.

“So, Tommy, what’s it like to work for your father?” John asked, leaning in. The restaurant was quaint, but still quite crowded. The ambient noise and chatter from nearby tables making them all lean in a little to converse.

Tommy shrugged. “About how you’d expect,” he answered. “Mostly boring with an air of disappointment.”

Felicity smacked his arm lightly. “Tommy is being modest,” she corrected. “He is highly valued by his father. We are visiting all the international locations to do security upgrades.”

“Oh right, you were telling me about that,” Lyla said with a smile. “You guys were in Hong Kong last, right?”

Tommy glanced at Felicity, a bit surprised that she would offer that kind of information to her new friends. Something crossed Felicity’s face-- a flicker of doubt? a slight hesitation of confusion?-- but then she smiled and nodded.

“We were,” she said, but there was something off in her voice. “It’s not every day a job like this comes along. I am so lucky to get to travel like this for work.”

Lyla nodded. “It’s great isn’t it? It’s one of the best perks.”

“What do you do, Lyla?” Tommy asked, taking the opportunity to learn a bit more about their new friends.

“I’m a transporter,” Lyla said with ease. “I move cargo-- usually sensitive in nature.”

Tommy nodded. “Sounds like interesting work. How’d you get into it?”

Lyla shrugged. “I kind of fell into it. It was just something that I became good at.”

“Moving stuff?” Tommy asked with a smirk.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” John interjected. “I actually spent a lot of time working with Lyla. It’s how we met. Seemed like the last time we talked she needed a hand here, so I thought I’d help out.”

“Nothing like the most romantic city in the world to bring lovers back together, huh?” Felicity asked with a smile.

“And you two?” Lyla gestured between Felicity and Tommy. “Getting caught up on the romance of Paris?”

“Sweetie, don’t back the kids into a corner,” John said, giving Lyla a smirk. 

“It was just a question,” Lyla countered.

“We aren’t,” Felicity said quickly. “We’re just--”

“Friends,” Tommy finished. “Felicity and I are really good--”

“Friends,” Felicity echoed.

 

“Yeah,” John said with a nod. “So you said.”

“Besides,” Felicity continued. “We work together, so it would be super awkward, I mean I don’t think I could date someone I worked with, despite my feelings for them.” She cringed, turning to face Tommy. “Not that I have feelings for you like that or anything. I just meant that--”

“I got it,” Tommy cut her off, with a smile. He took a drink of his wine before trying to steer the conversation to other subject matters. “So John, what line of work are you in?”

The man seemed to pick up on Tommy’s tactic with a nod. “I do private security back home.”

“And where’s home?” Felicity asked, seemly recovered from her bout of rambling.

“Oh, a little city along the Washington coast,” John answered sitting up straighter, as he cleared his throat. “You’ve probably never heard of it.”

“We’re from Washing--” Felicity started, and then broke off suddenly. She fished through her bag for her phone, and pulled it out, giving Tommy a look.

He met her eyes with one of hope and expectation and she nodded.

“I am so sorry,” Felicity said. “Something has come up at the office and we’ve got to go.” She began standing and Tommy followed suit.

“It’s an emergency,” he continued. “But thank you for a wonderful dinner.”

John and Lyla nodded, both standing. John shook Tommy’s hand and Lyla gave Felicity a quick hug.

“I hope everything is alright?” Lyla said.

Felicity nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Just a security breach we weren’t expecting. Should be settled quickly. But we do have to move on it right away.”

“Coffee tomorrow?” Lyla asked.

Felicity and Tommy gathered their things. He had a hand on her back to head for the door. “I’ll try,” Felicity answered.

He knew that if Felicity had a lead on Oliver then there would be no coffee in the morning. They would have to jump on the lead quickly, every moment mattered. He waved to Lyla and John who were leaned in close talking as Tommy and Felicity left.

“Is it him?” Tommy asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Seems like it. But I can’t believe he’d be that careless. It’s on a Facebook photo in Russia.” Felicity already had her tablet out of her bag and was typing away as they walked, Tommy guiding her through the busy streets of Paris.

“Russia?” Tommy repeated. “So the lead here in Paris was--”

“I’ve had inconclusive data on it for days. I think it was a false lead,” Felicity seemed deep in thought over what she was typing and had absently answered the question. She stopped in her tracks and glanced up at Tommy. “Sorry. I wanted to tell you differently than that.”

“A false lead,” Tommy said slowly. “Something that Oliver left?”

“I’m not sure,” Felicity said, her voice quiet. “I can’t recreate the false positive. It was buried deep. From what you’ve told me about him, I doubt he’d have the skills to do it without outside help.”

\--

Oliver didn’t like the idea of being summoned to the Knyazev estate. He just wasn’t an overall fan of the idea that someone had that much power over him. It was like he had no control over what he did with his own life. And if he was being honest with himself, he hadn’t really had that control in years, not since before the island. Not to mention nothing good ever came for a summons, especially one that came with the instructions to come ‘as early as possible’.

Oliver and Akio entered the mansion, nodding to the maid who let them in. 

“Akio, why don’t you go find Ana,” Oliver said as he looked down to his friend. 

Akio nodded at Oliver as Anatoly’s maid took his hand, leading him up the staircase.

Blowing out a long breath, Oliver paused in the foyer, collecting his thoughts, preparing himself for whatever Anatoly was about to ask of him. Nik emerged from one of the side rooms, spotting Oliver almost immediately.

“Hey Nik,” Oliver greeted. “Any advice for how not to get pummeled by this one?” He asked, trying to take the edge off with a bit of a joke. He shouldn’t be this worried to meet with Anatoly, but Oliver was beginning to wonder how much of his soul would actually be left when all was said and done in Russia.

Nik barely grunted in reply, nearly knocking Oliver off kilter with the force of his shoulder connecting with Oliver’s as he pushed passed him. The door slammed behind him as he exited, leaving Oliver in stunned silence. He wasn’t sure what was with the literal cold shoulder from someone he’d regarded as a friend, but he was hoping Anatoly could shed some light on the situation, whatever it was.

A moment later a door clicked down the hallway and Oliver spotted Anatoly standing halfway out the door to his office. If the look on the man’s face was any indication, Oliver was definitely not going to like this meeting. 

“Something tells me this isn’t a performance review,” Oliver quipped as he passed the man. Anatoly stood there for a second, before he pulled the door shut behind himself. 

Anatoly moved around Oliver taking a seat at the large desk. “Do you know what I spent the better part of the evening dealing with?”

“Not a clue,” Oliver said, claiming the chair in front of the desk, opting out of fidgeting with one of the items near the edge. “But hopefully you’re going to enlighten me.”

“One of my tech guys found a picture of you posted on the internet last night.”

Oliver’s shoulders went rigid at his words, because he knew what this meant. A picture of Oliver Queen on the internet, that could only lead to bad things. Like ‘ARGUS storming the streets of Moscow’ bad. Oliver found himself gripping the arm of his chair until his knuckles went white. “How long was it up for?”

“Only an hour,” Anatoly replied, folding his hands before him. “They found it quickly and were able to remove it shortly thereafter.”

“But there’s a chance someone could have seen it in that time, someone like Waller?” Oliver raised the question, but he really didn’t need an answer. He knew first hand how fast ARGUS worked. And if his face was out there for even a minute, that increased the chances of agents finding them in Moscow. 

“Given your loyalty to the brotherhood, no matter what, we have your back. You’ve showed us that you have earned it.”

“Do you know who posted it?” Oliver asked, ignoring Anatoly’s comment as best he could. He didn’t really care about the Bratva one way or another, but someone had a photograph of him and that meant they were close enough to take it, posting it with the malicious intent on exposing him. It also meant they were probably that close to Akio too and now that person had a lot of explaining to do. 

“If I give you a name what will you do with it? Will you sit here until you talk yourself out of what needs to be done? Or will you get up and work yourself into an angry rut, and possibly explode at the wrong moment?”

“Anatoly, I am grateful for all you’ve done for me and Akio since coming here,” Oliver paused leaning across the desk. “But whoever did this, put that boy in danger. And I don’t give a damn about your rules or your code. They need to answer for this. Because if they did it once, they’ll do it again.”

The older man watched him carefully, like he was silently grading Oliver. “I’ll give you an address. I don’t have his name, but a place to find him.”

“And I’ll know who I’m looking for how?”

“You’ll know Oliver,” Anatoly replied with a sigh. “Whatever you decide to do, you have my approval. This person will face their betrayal one way or another, if not by you then it will be me.”

Anatoly scribbled something on a piece of paper, folding it once before he handed it to Oliver. “The boy can stay here while you take care of this.”

Oliver nodded, staring down at the paper in his hands. He knew what needed to be done, to protect Akio, he had to make sure no one found them. But still, this was a life. A life he was thinking of taking on his own. No matter how long he kept at this, that kind of feeling, hopefully, would never sit well with him.

Oliver stood as he shoved the paper into his pocket. His hand lingered at his side, as his fingers ran across themselves. He was familiar with the sensation, the desire to have his weapon firmly in his grasp. He had come to realize the bow was almost an extension of himself. And he liked that. He liked that it was one of the few things in his life he could control. How much force to put behind each shot, where he aimed, even how many arrows to take something down. 

Exiting the estate and finally allowing himself to look at the address on the slip of paper from Anatoly, Oliver forced himself to keep his anger in check. He couldn’t let his emotions run this. It was about survival, nothing more. He was doing this to keep Akio safe. Oliver breathed in slow and steady, exhaling and feeling his nerves steady.

He could do this. It would mean another face in the nightmares, but it was nothing he wasn’t used to at this point. The address Anatoly had given him wasn’t far. With one more deep breath, Oliver forced everything but necessity from his mind, and rounded the corner onto the street. He would take care of this today. But he needed to pick up his weapon first.

\--

Felicity worked through the night tracking the photograph. Shortly after she found it, someone had scrubbed it from the net. Someone who was pretty good, but luckily she was better. 

After she got a general location to ping her computer off of she was able to track Oliver via traffic cams just like she had in Hong Kong. Except there was significantly less material than China. He had a knack for dodging cameras. The only one she found less shots of then Oliver was Maseo’s son Akio. But he was still present in a few shots she found. The most recent one from a local hospital in Moscow a couple of days ago. 

She cross referenced Oliver’s image with buildings in the area, trying to narrow down the possible locations where the pair could be living. But she wasn’t having any luck on that front. Still this was the best lead they had, hell it was more than a lead, it was actual tangible proof Oliver and Akio were out there and, at least from the grainy security feed, looked like they were safe. 

“Have you been up all night?” Tommy asked as he came up behind her, setting a steaming cup of coffee next to her. 

She gave him a tired smile, as she took a long drink. “You’re one to talk, don’t think I didn’t hear the TV on at four in the morning.”

“I was only up because of the harsh glow from your computer,” he replied, leaning back against the edge of the desk. “Felicity you don’t have to get this all done before we leave.”

“I know,” she paused as she chewed on her lower lip. “I just. I feel like I need to do more.”

“You’ve already done so much. I would still be in Starling obsessing over a terrible audio recording if it wasn’t for you,” he nudged her chair with a grin. “You’ve been a rockstar on this.”

“If that were true we’d already be in Moscow, hell we’d probably have found Oliver by now.”

“We got a false lead, you couldn’t have predicted that.”

“But we should have,” she sighed, falling back into her chair. “Maseo warned us that there were people looking for Oliver, people who are dangerous. What if they’re the reason we’re in Paris right now? What if my searches only got a ping for here because someone wanted us here?”

She shook her head. She knew how she must sound. Paranoid and crazy, for sure. But it was probable that she was right too. Especially, if you factored in the timing of it all. What better way to derail a search for Oliver Queen, then to distract Felicity and Tommy with the glow of Paris. And it had almost worked. Almost.

“Look I’m not going to deny that it’s a little suspect that we got a facial hit on Oliver here, when he clearly wasn’t anywhere close to the city,” Tommy said, setting his own mug down. 

“But…” Felicity said, drawing out the word for him to continue.

“But nothing, that’s it. I’m not going to deny it.”

Felicity smacked him in the arm. “Not helping,” she said with a sigh.

Tommy grinned. “Seriously though, even if it was a false lead that brought us here, we’ve got something solid to go on now, right?”

Felicity nodded, pushing the thoughts from her mind. They had more important things to worry about. Like how they were going to get to Moscow on such short notice when Malcolm had sent for the jet to return to Starling two days ago.

She was just about to voice her concern when someone knocked on their hotel door. She looked to Tommy with a raised brow. “Did you call for room service?”

“Not that I recall,” he replied with confusion then stood slowly as he made his way across the room. She knew it couldn’t be housekeeping since they had asked the front desk upon arrival to forgo that. And for a second Felicity feared it was Malcolm, coming to check up on them. That was not something she was prepared to deal with at all.

Tommy checked through the peephole and let out a heavy sigh before opening the door. Standing there in the hallway were John and Lyla.

Felicity’s brow furrowed and she stood from her seat, closing the lid to her laptop and crossing the distance between them. “What’s going on here?” she asked.

Lyla took a small step forward, meeting her eyes. “Hi Felicity, Tommy,” she said with a tight smile. “We don’t have a lot of time. Can John and I come in?”

Felicity bit down on her bottom lip, her gaze finding Tommy’s instantly. After a quick and silent exchange she looked back to Lyla. “This actually isn’t a good time. We’ve been called away on urgent business and--”

“And ARGUS is coming for you,” Lyla said.

Felicity froze and her eyes met Tommy’s again. The name crossed her mind again and again as she tried to place it. She’d heard it before somewhere, surely. Somewhere deep in the files she’d come across-- papers with redacted information buried so far down she hadn’t even been sure she was on the right trail at the time. She didn’t have enough to go on, but whatever Lyla was trying to tell her, Felicity was positive it wasn’t good.

“What did you say?” Tommy asked incredulously.

“This is a conversation for behind closed doors,” John said, his eyes darting up and down the hallway he was still standing in. “We have sensitive information to discuss with you both.”

Felicity gave a quick nod and Lyla and John entered. Tommy closed the door swiftly behind them and locked it before moving to stand beside Felicity, a gesture for which she was grateful. She felt stronger with Tommy by her side, and she knew that no matter what Lyla and John were there to tell them, they could handle it better together.

“ARGUS.” Felicity demanded. “I’ve heard the name before. What is it?”

“It’s probably better if you just let us explain everything before you ask questions. It’s not that long of a story, I promise you.” Lyla’s lips were pressed into a thin line and she looked weary.

Felicity wondered if perhaps her new friend hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before either. She nodded and Lyla continued.

“I know how this is going to sound, Felicity, but please, I hope that you can still trust me after this.” She took a deep breath. “I work for ARGUS. I was sent here to track you, to bring you in.”

“What? No,” Felicity responded immediately, her voice adamant. She backed up until she was against the wall furthest from Lyla.

Lyla nodded. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” she let out another sigh, searching Felicity’s eyes for some sort of understanding. “I had no idea what Waller had planned for you.”

“Planned?” Tommy said, stepping forward. “What does she have planned for us?”

“Not you,” Lyla said, meeting his eyes. “Felicity. The ping to Paris was a test. She meant to have me in position when you guys got here but she underestimated your abilities. I was sent to… recruit you, I guess you could say. To win your trust and bring you into the team.”

“They’re the ones, aren’t they? The ones hunting Oliver? The team that burned their own operatives? That separated a family and left a man and child on the run for their lives?”

Felicity was yelling now, her voice shaky but resounding. Her whole body trembled with the fear of what would become of her and Tommy now. Now that they knew the truth. Her eyes, bleary and brimming with tears searched for Tommy. She hated herself for letting her emotions betray her the way Lyla had already done.

“Get out,” Tommy said, trying to push the pair toward the door. John went quietly but Lyla resisted, struggling against him.

“You don’t understand!” she called over Tommy’s shoulder. “You’re not safe here.”

Felicity swiped at the tears and cleared her eyes, feeling her strength return to her in one quick sweep. “Apparently we never were.”

Lyla finally let herself be pushed from the room and Tommy locked the door once they were alone again. Felicity moved toward him with cautious steps, concerned. She’d never seen Tommy so motionless, so quiet. It was a little unnerving.

“Okay, we have to quickly regroup and figure out our next move,” Felicity said, trying to gain Tommy’s attention.

His eyes were downcast, staring at a spot on the wall near the floor next to her. Felicity wasn’t sure how to get him back into panic mode, but it was something she desperately needed from him.

“Tommy?” she questioned.

“How dare you?” Tommy said finally, tearing his eyes away from the spot on the wall and glaring at her.

“Come again?”

“How dare you befriend them. I knew it was too good to be true. It was too much of a coincidence.” He stepped toward her and for the first time ever, Felicity felt ill-at-ease with Tommy. Not that she thought he would hurt her, but just that he seemed more unpredictable. “You should have known better.” 

“Me? I should have known better?” she asked. “How is this my fault? She took advantage--”

“She spilled a coffee on you and took you shopping. God, I should have never agreed to that dinner.” He was pacing now, hands raking through his hair and a slightly manic look in his eyes. “Maseo warned us about these people. We saw what they did to him. Erasing him from existence. What they did to Oliver. Jesus Felicity if they get us--”

“They won’t,” she said, laying a hand on his arm, making him freeze in place. “Listen, Tommy. If Lyla’s boss thinks I could in any way be useful, they won’t hurt us.”

“You,” Tommy corrected. “They won’t hurt you.”

“Nothing is going to happen,” Felicity reassured him. “But we have to get moving now. I’m not sure how we’re going to get out of here with Lyla and John waiting for us outside… but we’ll figure it out.”

Tommy nodded, taking a deep breath. And then he pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder.

The sound of glass breaking was unmistakable and Tommy pushed Felicity to the ground, covering her with his body. Her adrenaline kicked back into high gear as several more shots plinked through the window. Someone was shooting at them.

Everything fell into a dull buzzing noise as Felicity’s adrenaline went into overdrive. Tommy covered both of their heads and motioned toward the bathroom door. Felicity nodded, crawling on her elbows toward it, staying as low as possible, with Tommy right beside her. Every ounce of her was trembling as she moved, one elbow after another, inching her way toward the bathroom with Tommy right beside her.

Loud thumping came from the other side of the door, before gunshots sounded there too. Every inch felt like an eternity until finally she and Tommy had pulled themselves into the bathtub. She barely remembered getting there, just the sound of bullets whizzing through the air, glass breaking, mirrors raining down on them. There was a dull pounding in her right arm and she could feel shudders still racking her body until finally the shots subsided and all was quiet.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear!  
> Are you ready for an exciting new chapter? Because this one is a doozy. i don't want to tease you too much, so on with the show... Or fic? Yeah.
> 
> Much love,  
> Kayla

 Tommy sat with his head against the window, listening to the steading rhythm of the train gliding across the track below them, trying to push the morning from his mind. But every time his eyes closed he heard glass shattering around him and could feel Felicity pressed beneath him as they made their way through their hotel room on hands and knees.

Minutes had crawled by and with every passing second, Tommy couldn’t help thinking that he’d failed. He had promised Felicity he’d keep her safe, no matter what. And the first real lead they got, bullets started flying. He wanted to bring Oliver home, but at what cost? He knew he couldn’t lose her to this madness. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

Felicity was sitting across from him as John patched up her arm. God, that woman had taken a bullet because of all this. And through it all, she somehow seemed relatively calm, though that could have been the pain pills John had given her.

“Okay, you are all patched up,” John said giving her hand a squeeze. “First battle wound?”

She shrugged.  “Well, when bullets are flying around it’s rather inevitable,” Felicity replied. Okay scratch the calm, she was practically serene.

Tommy moved forward in his seat, until his knees bumped into hers.

“You sure she’s okay?” he asked, shooting John a look, as Felicity let her head fall back against the seat.

John nodded, setting his supplies in the bag at his feet. “She’s lucky it was just a graze. Any deeper and I wouldn’t have been able to patch her up on the move.”

“Not exactly what I meant.”

Before John could reply, Lyla pushed the door open to the train car, her arms crossed. “I managed to talk the conductor into giving us the whole car. So at least no one will be gossiping about the American with a gunshot wound.”

“Perfect,” Tommy scoffed, his hands folded on his lap. “Maybe now you can start explaining things. You can start with who shot up our hotel room.”

“I already told you that was ARGUS.”

“The secret organization _you_ work for.”

Felicity stirred in her seat as her eyes landed on him, and he felt the smallest twinge of guilt for raising his voice. She shifted across the small space so she was next to him, gesturing for Lyla to take her vacated spot.

“Look I understand that you don’t want to trust me, either of us really,” Lyla said. “But the truth is you need us. Amanda Waller is going to figure out that her men failed, and then she might start seeing things that don’t add up.”

“Lyla,” John shot her a look. “Come on.”

Tommy watched their silent conversation, before Lyla sighed, turning to face him and Felicity. “ARGUS is an organization that specializes in accumulating assets. People they think have a quality to them. They do a lot of good in the world. But sometimes they don’t.

“Like when they target a family?” Felicity offered, with a brow raised. Apparently even drugged Felicity’s focus was laser.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Lyla replied, shaking her head. “I honestly don’t. I was doing some work for Waller in Belgrave when she called me about a possible new recruit. She said she thought this person had the skill set to work on some high up projects. But she needed to test them.”

“And by them you mean Felicity?” Tommy ventured with a glare.

“All I was told from the beginning was that Amanda thought she was good enough to join up. Being good enough by ARGUS standards is an amazing praise,” Lyla explained, turning until she was looking at Felicity. “I didn’t know until after I got to Paris that you were even traveling with someone. Waller didn’t mention it.”

“And when you figured it out you had a change of heart?”

“Not exactly,” Lyla paused. “I did some digging. Tried to figure out what Waller was doing in Hong Kong for so long, and that’s when I came across a file or two that she wouldn’t be very happy with someone finding.

“Waller had started looking into recruiting people for an elite service team, people who she viewed didn’t work well with others,” Lyla cleared her throat before she continued. “Oliver Queen was at the top of her list.”

Tommy tensed at his friend's name, knowing the pair in front of them had caught it. There was no use trying to lie to them now, but he still didn’t want to be the one offering up information.

“That’s who you’re tracking here right?” Lyla asked, shooting Felicity a smile, and Felicity nodded in return. “And that’s why Waller thinks you’re an asset too. Someone who can track a ghost, without leaving so much as a breadcrumb in their wake? You’re better than half the people already working in ARGUS’s cyber department.  Maybe better than all of them.”

“But what, Tommy’s expendable?” Felicity asked her voice raising an octave, and Lyla looked like she was going to reply before Felicity continued. “Your boss was going to kill him to get him out of the way right? That’s why there were gunshots, why a bullet hit my arm? They were going to take him out and then take me in?”

“That’s why I called Johnny,” Lyla said,  dropping her hand to John’s. “Because I couldn’t help you both on my own. And there is no one I trust more than him.”

“But there’s still the issue that the men with guns failed,” Tommy noted shaking his head. “And once this Waller person realizes that, isn’t her first assumption going to be her highly trained operative had something to do with it?”

Lyla shot John a look having another silent discussion between themselves. And Tommy just really wanted to kick the pair of them for thinking secrets were remotely a good idea now.

In fact he wasn’t going to stand for it anymore. “Is there anything you want to share with the class here?”

Lyla tore her eyes from John to meet Tommy’s. “You’re not going to like this.”

“Well then it fits with the theme of day,” Tommy quipped. “Spit it out.”

“Waller wants Felicity on her side, and you dead. The only way we stop that, is if you’re no longer with her,” John explained taking a deep breath.

“Maybe it’s the throbbing arm pain or the pills that were so not aspirin,” Felicity said shaking her head. “But you make it sound like you want us to split up.”

“It’s your best option for saving Tommy’s life,” John answered.

“No,” Tommy said firmly.  “I’m not leaving her.  That has been my only rule since the beginning.  We don’t split up.  I don’t let her out of my sight.  It’s the best way to make sure Felicity doesn’t get hurt.”

“They’re not after her,” Lyla said quietly.  “Well, not in any way that would put her in danger.”

Felicity turned to him, and Tommy couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes.  Because if she thought that he would do anything to go along with John and Lyla’s plan, she was just as crazy as they were.  He didn’t care if staying together put him in more danger.  It was the only way he knew of to make sure she stayed safe.

“We’re not splitting up and that’s final,” Tommy repeated.  “Now, since we have an abundance of time before we get to Moscow, perhaps we can work out an alternative plan to splitting up.”

John leaned in toward Lyla and they whispered quietly for a moment, coming to some sort of agreement between them.  

Tommy forced out a sigh, rubbing his temples.  It was bad enough they had to stick with John and Lyla, without them keeping even more secrets from him and Felicity.  Tommy wasn’t sure he was going to last if they kept it up.

“I’m amending my former statement,” Tommy said.  “Perhaps the four of us can work out an alternative plan to splitting up.”

Felicity’s hand rested on Tommy’s arm and he finally turned to look at her.  The thought that she’d been hurt, that she’d basically taken a bullet because people were coming after him-- it was almost too much to bear.  But he was going to make sure nothing else happened to her.  He couldn’t let Felicity get hurt more than she already had been.  So even if Lyla and John didn’t think it was the ‘best’ option, staying together was the only one that Tommy was willing to concede to.

\---

Oliver hated the cold weather of Moscow when they’d first arrived but it had always seemed to numb him.  He didn’t have that now.  Now he seethed as he walked through the abandoned streets late at night.  Something deep inside Oliver made him curious about the intentions of whoever posted the photo of him online.  He wondered how he would feel when he finally laid eyes on them.  If he would give them a chance to explain why they’d put a young boy’s life in danger.  Oliver wasn’t sure he had the will to give them that.

He checked the address once more as he continued down the stretch, not a visible soul in sight. The streets had grown quiet around him as the day had faded into night. But he had to give himself time. He had to brush away all the pieces of himself that would keep him from what he might have to do. And if that meant getting lost in Moscow, just to shed himself, then he didn’t mind. It’s something he was growing too accustomed with, letting the real part of himself fall away and leaving only the killer in his place. Sure it still left Oliver Queen with the nightmares, but at least he could try and disassociate his actions when he was awake.

So he waited, only calling Anatoly once to make sure the address was right.  He’d been by it a couple of times and Oliver couldn’t imagine what the significance of the place was. He didn’t even ask about Akio when he called, and Anatoly’s conformation was the location he’d scouted twice in the last few hours.  With no sign of his target, Oliver made another round of the block with his weapon slung across his back.

That was the thing about the back streets of Russia, no one around to question the strange American with a bow and quiver. Which was good. ARGUS was probably already on their way to him as it was, and the last thing he needed was more evidence for Amanda Waller to track him down.

He reached the end of the street to find the same dark building with scorch marks seared into the bricks of its exterior.  Oliver hadn’t gone inside yet, not that there was much of an inside left to visit.  But it was getting late and he was beginning to lose his patience and nerve, so this time around, Oliver walked through the rubble and charred remains of the building that used to sit at the end of the street.

It was impossible to stay silent as he made his way through the hollow shell that remained.  Every step echoed through, making Oliver feel more exposed than he was comfortable with.  He put a hand on his bow, keeping it at the ready in case his target was hidden somewhere.  Toward the back there was what looked like a large industrial stove.  A restaurant?  It was his best guess considering.

Oliver found a small space out of the direct line of sight of the ‘entrance’ of the place and tucked himself in.  He would be able to see whoever entered without them catching him off guard.  The familiar hum of adrenaline pushed its way through his veins keeping him on high alert.

It was a while before anything happened.  A couple of hours of distant car horns, wind through the trees and an uncomfortable drop in temperature.  Maybe the cold didn’t numb him as well as he thought.  But the crunch of gravel under foot was unmistakable and Oliver’s ears perked up instantly.  

The shadowed figure was mostly blocked from view; Oliver caught glimpses here and there as they moved further into the abandoned building, but not enough for him to have a clean shot.  Regardless, he’d calmed himself enough to decide to interrogate the person before doing anything else.  There was a reason for the photo going up online and Oliver needed to understand what it was before silencing them forever.

The man-- Oliver was sure now that it was a man by the way he carried himself-- stopped and took a seat on a pile of rubble.  Oliver hoped to get a shot to incapacitate him, but he’d have to move from his hiding spot to do it.  After readying his bow and nocking an arrow, Oliver slid two feet to his right, just far enough to get a clean shot.  The arrow released silently, finding it’s home in the man’s knee.

A howl of pain cut through the air and Oliver moved swiftly to quiet him.

But when the man’s face finally came into view, Oliver froze. His hand vibrating as it grasped the bow tightly, almost enough to snap it in half. He just couldn’t believe it. He thought… But that had always been his problem hadn’t it? He thought and he trusted before he really judged a situation. And time and time again it screwed him over.

Nik was curled in on himself, his hands instinctively tugging at the arrow lodged in place.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Oliver said, keeping his voice void of the emotions that were racing through him. “If you pull it out the wrong way you could bleed out right here.”

“Oliver?” Nik hissed finally looking up at him. The kid was trying to hide the pain in his features. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“That’s exactly what I’m here to ask you,” he knelt down, but kept out of Nik’s easy reach. “We need to have a talk.”

“When Anatoly finds out,” his breath was ragged as he tried to sit up. “You’re gonna wish you never got on that boat in China.”

Oliver shook his head, letting a hollow laugh escape his lips. “Trust me when I say this, I already do.” He pulled a zip tie from his back pocket, and grabbed for Nik’s hands. He pulled and secured them together. The injury was giving him a serious advantage, Oliver noted as he lifted Nik from the ground, knocking him into a relatively undamaged chair, where he secured them to the back.

“You’re gonna pay for this,” Nik seethed. “If not by me then by one of the others. The Brotherhood doesn’t take kindly to turning on each other.”

“Good, you’re clear on the rules,” Oliver said circling around behind him. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m gonna ask you questions. If you answer honestly nothing happens. If you don’t then something will happen.”

“Oooh, I’m shaking.”

He pulled the knife out swiftly, as he locked Nik’s hair in one hand, and pressed the blade straight to his throat. “You might want to watch the attitude, kid.”

Oliver couldn’t shake the bile that crept up his throat, as his actions began to mirror his former friend so closely.  He wasn’t Slade, but it was becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between his actions and that of the man that had taught him so much on Lian Yu.  Truth was Nik was a kid, barely three years older than Thea, and Oliver hated himself for what he was about to do to him. He released his hold on Nik, moving around to pick his bow back up, taking an arrow with him.

“It’s come to my attention,” Oliver started, twirling the arrow between his fingers. “That you posted a photograph online. One of me.”

Nik looked him straight in the eyes, giving a little smirk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

It only took a second for Oliver to send the arrow sailing just into a mass of muscles in his abdomen. Nik’s pain filled screams echoed off the scorched beams, filling Oliver with even more nightmares to sort out later.

“That was six inches below your lung,” Oliver noted, grabbing another arrow from his feet. “You know I’m a good shot. So the way I see it. I have five more arrows to shoot before your lose the ability to breathe. If you don’t want that to happen I suggest you start answering me.”

“Maybe I did,” Nik replied, meeting Oliver’s eyes. “Why was that wrong?”

“You’re cocky for someone with two arrows in them.” He moved closer, gripping the edge of the arrow in Nik’s stomach. He twisted it slightly, causing the kid to cry out. Oliver looked at him and whispered. “But it’s not going to last long. Trust me, you don’t know pain yet.”

He stepped back nocking another arrow into place. “Now the next question is simple. All I want to know is why.”

Nik shook his head, looking anywhere but at Oliver. His eyes seemed to focus on the stove in the corner. “You didn’t follow me here did you?”

“That’s not an answer,” Oliver said, sending another arrow into his chest. “Just tell me why Nik. I told you no one could know I was here. And I thought we were…” he couldn’t say friends. Even if it was true. “On the same page. So why do it?”

“I’ll tell you why,” Nik breathed out, and Oliver could see the fire in the kids eyes. “Alina.”

“The nurse from the hospital?” He let confusion slip into his voice, because he truly had no idea what she had to do with Nik betraying him like this.

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Nik said with a glare. “I saw you two together, a couple days ago.”

The events of the last time he was at the hospital flooded his mind, but it was taking a bit to sort things out. He’d been so worried about Akio, he barely recalled anything more than waiting, and then going to get some water. Which was when he’d run into the nurse while Yury and Nik stood guard right down the hall.

“I don’t know what you think you saw from that very short exchange,” Oliver grabbed at Nik’s face, so he would meet his eyes. “But you should have talked to me. Instead you didn’t. And now we’re here.”

He let go, taking a few steps back. Nik was impulsive in his actions. Jealousy and impulse mixed together usually caused explosive results, and add in the folly of youth, and Oliver almost couldn’t blame him from reacting the way he had.

“Anatoly knows doesn’t he?” Nik’s voice sounded almost amused. “He told you I’d be here, and he sent you to… take care of things. Right?”

Oliver turned back to him, his stony mask in place. “Anatoly has done a lot for me and the boy. Someone you didn’t even consider.”

“You even know where we’re standing? You make that connection yet?”

He had. About a minute after he realized it was Nik, the pieces fell into place.

“This was the Knyazev restaurant,” Oliver said, grabbing another arrow. “The one that was bombed.”

“Where my mother died,” Nik added, his tone mocking and dark. “Irony’s a bitch.”

He didn’t want to. And there was a large part of him screaming, begging himself to let Nik go. Tell him to flee the city, the country. Hell the whole damn continent. But Nik was impulsive. And that trait had already certainly brought more hellfire down upon Oliver. It was only a matter of time before ARGUS would show up. And then there was Anatoly. He restrained the shudder from creeping across him at the thoughts of what the Bratva leader would do if he let Nik go.

So he had to. There was no second option. No secret door number two. He readied his arrow and closed his eyes as he sent it straight through the kid’s heart.

\---

Felicity was starting to go stir-crazy, not to mention feeling like a sitting duck as the hours ticked by on their journey from Paris to Moscow.  It was a longer train ride than she’d expected, but so far had proven to be the easiest way to slip from country to country undetected.  Lyla had been very thorough in her teachings of how to avoid security cameras and uniformed officers, but Felicity still felt on edge.  Not even the crazy pain killers they’d given her for the gunshot wound were helping to numb the gnawing in her stomach.

She needed something to do, some way to trace Oliver further before they arrived in Russia.  But most of all she needed confirmation from Lyla and John that they weren’t going to try to separate her and Tommy once they got to Moscow.  The married couple had been insistent for the last two days that splitting up was the only viable option to keep them both safe.  That John and Tommy would lay low and find some safe house that Lyla had set up years ago that no one knew about while the two women tracked down Oliver.  But Tommy was just as insistent that they all stay together.

Felicity was still torn.  On the one hand, she wanted to keep Tommy in her sights just as much as he’d fought to keep her in his.  On the other, Lyla and John had far more experience in these types of situations than she and Tommy did.  If they thought splitting up was the safest option for everyone, Felicity was hard pressed to want to go against what they thought was best.

“Solving world hunger over there?”

“Hmm?” Felicity hummed, pulling her attention away from the bleak scenery whipping past them.  Her eyes scanned across the train car to find Tommy leaning against the open door.  A fleeting thought of why he always had to lean against things and how he made it look so good and effortless flitted through her mind, but she dismissed it immediately.

“You are just concentrating pretty hard,” he said, his face dissolving into a smile as he crossed the floor to sit across from her.  “I was making a joke,” he added with a wink.

Felicity cleared her throat.  “Right,” she said, giving her head a little shake.  “I’m just worried about what we’re going to find when we get to Moscow.  What if ARGUS is there waiting for us?  What if they’ve already reached Oliver?  What if…”

Tommy leaned forward and covered her hand with his.  Felicity’s eyes dropped to her lap where his thumb gently padded across the side of her’s.  “No more what if’s,” Tommy said quietly.  “Whatever happens when we get there, we will deal with it.  Together.  Just like we’ve done every other step of the way.”

Moments like this were no longer uncommon and the lines of friendship and something more had blurred into a haze that neither of them could distinguish anymore.  Felicity pulled her focus back to Tommy, to where his face hovered inches from hers, his eyes still fixed on their hands intertwined in her lap.

“Together,” she repeated softly, the word a question rather than a statement.  She wasn’t sure if it was the fact that they’d all been stuck together for the last two days in a small space or if it was just that whatever was between them was just something she could no longer deny, but she needed an answer.  She needed Tommy to explain to her what was between them, because she was at a loss to explain it to herself.

He must have sensed her shift in meaning because Tommy looked up and met her eyes.  His free hand moved slowly toward her until his palm rested against her cheek.  Tommy’s thumb traced the line of her jaw until he held her chin and gently tilted her head.  

His lips pressed against hers, warm and fervent, like he wanted to make sure that Felicity knew that he meant it.  Her eyes fluttered closed and she enjoyed the sensation of his lips moving against hers, breathing in the mix of bourbon and his aftershave.  It didn’t last long, a few seconds at most, before Tommy pulled away, making Felicity blink repeatedly to regain her senses as he came back into view.

“Together,” he repeated again, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

Felicity tucked her hair behind her ear.  “Thank you,” she said, biting her lip.

“Thank you?” Tommy asked with a half-smirk.

His lips had more color to them and Felicity found it hard to concentrate.  “What?  No, I just mean.  Yes.  Thank you.”  She shook her head.  “Not for… that.  Just for, you know, clarifying things for me.”

Tommy’s smirk melted into his genuine eye-crinkling smile.  “Well then, in that case, you’re welcome.”

The brakes on the train squealed as it stopped abruptly, nearly sending Felicity into Tommy’s lap with the force of it.  And just like that, Felicity went back on high alert.  She had been over the train schedule a dozen times in the last couple of days and there was no planned stop until they got to Moscow, which if the landscape outside their window had anything to say about it, this certainly was not.  Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.

“What’s wrong?” Tommy asked.

“Either we made really good time, or we stopped somewhere we shouldn’t have.”

The speaker in the ceiling crackled to life as the conductor spoke rushed French in clipped tones.  She couldn’t make out many of the words, just ‘sit’ and something about a check.  The door to their cabin flew open and Lyla and John entered, eyes wild but both attempting to remain calm.

“Is it them?” Tommy asked, standing.

“If I were a betting man,” John said, grabbing a bag from over one of the seats.

“Shit,” Tommy said under his breath.  “Do we have an exit strategy for this?  Any sort of contingency?”

Lyla sighed.  “Well the good news is, we’re only about twenty five miles outside the city.”

“And the bad news?” Felicity asked, slipping into her coat and reaching for her bag.  They’d never be able to carry all of the luggage, but her laptop was most important.  Clothes she could buy.

“We’ll be doing the last leg on foot,” John answered before Lyla could.  John pulled a knife from its sheath on his belt and cut a wire on the window.

Felicity was noticing for the first time that the cabin they’d chosen had an emergency exit.  Maybe it was good having them along after all.  They had far more experience in this sort of thing than she and Tommy did.

Once the four of them had everything they could carry, John released the latch on the window and pushed it out.  Lyla jumped out first, landing on her feet like a cat on the railroad ties.  Felicity went out after her, taking Tommy’s hand when he offered it so she could climb out.

They stuck close to the side of the train, not wanting to be spotted by any military that might still be lingering outside.  Tommy climbed out next, dropping heavy on his feet with his bag in tow.  They hadn’t thought ahead far enough to bring bags that were easy to travel with.  Backpacks would have been ideal.  Things to keep in mind moving forward.

“We want to stick about twenty feet off the tracks,” Lyla said as John came to stand beside her.  “Any closer and we risk being spotted.  Any further and we lose the way.”

“We move quickly and quietly, shed anything that will be easy to spot,” John said, looking at Felicity and gesturing to her brightly colored scarf.  “That will get a bullet in your shoulder before you even know they’re there.”

Felicity cleared her throat, pulling the scarf from around her neck and tossing it on the tracks under the train behind her.  Lyla moved for the tree line and they all followed suit, staying close together as they found the road.  They’d nearly lost sight of the train when their empty compartment was discovered-- loud frantic voices shouting in Russian.

“Just keep moving,” John said, when Felicity hesitated.  “There’s nothing left for you back there.”

She nodded, catching back up with Tommy as they hurried through the woods.  The familiar sound of something rushing past her ears made Felicity freeze.  Bullets.

“We need to take cover!” Tommy shouted, pulling Felicity low to the ground.

“No!” Lyla responded harshly.  “We stop and we’re sitting ducks.  Dead in the water.  As good as caught.”

Lyla grabbed Felicity’s arm and yanked her forward.  Panic flooded her down to her bones.  This was something she would never get used to- being shot at, running from an enemy.  She was a computer nerd, definitely not cut out for things like this.  For now, she had to trust that Lyla and John weren’t steering them wrong.

Lyla pushed Felicity in front of her, shielding the blonde with her body as they ran through the thickly wooded terrain.  Tommy was close beside her, keeping pace and taking hold of her hand.

Gunfire echoed through the trees around them on all sides.  And Felicity couldn’t help but feel like it was getting closer.

“Johnny!” Lyla called.  “We’re going to have to do this like Macau!”

“Macau?” Tommy questioned.  “What does that mean?!”

Felicity was sure of it now, the gunfire was getting closer, and the voices were getting louder as they closed in.

“We have to separate,” John answered finally.  “We’ll meet back up at a safehouse in Moscow later tonight after dark.  But we stay together and we risk us all dying.”

“No!” Tommy shouted, his voice strained, beginning to sound winded.

“I won’t let them kill you because they want me,” Felicity said finally.  “I don’t want to split up either, but if they find me and Lyla together, it’s less likely we’ll be killed.  And you two can claim ignorance or kidnapping or whatever.”  Her breath burned in her lungs and her legs felt like they were on fire even as they pressed on.  It was the right thing to do, for all their sakes.

Tommy gave her hand one more squeeze, pulling it closer to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, before veering off to the left with John without another word.  They disappeared into the mess of trees, and it took everything Felicity had not to stare after him as he went.

She had bigger things to worry about than Tommy being mad at her.  Bigger things like the tree root that caught her foot as they raced through the forest, sending her flying to the ground.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again friends! Welcome to chapter 15. Quick housekeeping thing you may notice: we've formatted a little differently this chapter, since Tommy and Felicity have been separated. Anyway, happy holidays to you all, and we hope you enjoy the chapter!

Oliver took a few minutes to steady his heart rate before returning to the main room. Running a hand through his newly cut hair, he still was not used to the close feel, and he tried to sort out the last few days that were pulsing in his head.

_After Nik, he couldn’t go straight back to Anatoly’s. He couldn’t bear the thought of Akio seeing him like that, so detached and cold. Instead he took to walking the back streets of Moscow, until he made it back to their apartment._

_When he got there he sent a quick message to Sofia, asking her to keep an eye on Akio for him until he returned for the boy. And then he stepped into the small bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror for longer than he meant to, watching as the light, he was sure was once there, fade away leaving only darkness in it’s wake._

Everything after that happened so quickly. Anatoly sent men to take care of Nik, and decided to level the building completely. He made Oliver come with when they brought it down, whispering in Russian something about quieting ghosts.

After that he offered Oliver a more permanent position with the Bratva.

_“You showed us your strength. How you’re not afraid to make the hard choices,” Anatoly had said. “That is the kind of thing I look for in a captain.”_

And so here he was, being inducted into the Brotherhood, in one of the highest ways a man could ever be honored in this world. He should feel that honor. But he just felt shame and hatred over the things he had done. He thought about his family and about Tommy. Wondering what they would say if they saw the person he had become? Would they embrace him with open arms or would they watch him carefully, waiting for the last of him to snap completely? Maybe convinced the last had already broken inside. He sure felt like it had.

He pulled the journal from his pocket, running his hands across the front. He hadn’t thought about his father’s book in ages, or the last thing the man had said to him before taking his own life. But now the word echoed through him, rattling through his bones. Survive. He thought he father had meant for him to live. To make it home and have a life again. But he knew that wasn’t possible. There was no going back to being Oliver Queen. Even if he could make it back, he wouldn’t want to bring that darkness there. But that didn’t mean he could give in. He still had things he had to do. People who were counting on him to survive. Akio needed to get home to his family. After that… well he’d worry about that time when it came.

He could hear the party inside growing more and more boisterous. Laughing as they all talked of their exploits, but he wasn’t in the mood to hear stories of torture and death. He had enough of his own to keep him company.

The door to the balcony opened, causing Oliver to tense. He didn’t want to get pulled back in there. But he knew Anatoly would come looking for him sooner or later. But the person who came to lean against the rail next to him wasn’t his boss. It was Sofia.

“Not enjoying your party?” She asked raising a brow as she crossed her arms.

He hadn’t talked to her since Nik. He hadn’t really said a word to anyone besides Akio, and even those were short replies. But he felt a pang of guilt over avoiding her. She’d been nothing but kind to the both of them since they arrived. And now he couldn’t even look her in the eye.

“I’m not really a party kind of guy,” he muttered, taking a long drink from his tumbler. It was a strange sensation, realizing how true the words had become. Three years ago he was the definition of party. Lately, not so much. With another sip he let the cool amber liquid fog the demons in his mind.

She didn’t look at him, almost like she didn’t want to see what he’d become since joining her family’s ranks. But since she wasn’t looking he couldn’t be sure she was had heard him. So he stood up straighter, clearing his throat as he set the glass on the ledge.

“So Ivan’s here, the doctors gave him the all clear?”

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. “More like he insisted they give him one. He doesn’t like missing family events.”

And he heard it in her voice. The icy tone she injected into the word family. She may share the name Knyanzev, but Sofia was the furthest thing from one of them.

“Sofia, I don’t know what they told you,” he paused hands gripped to the railing just to keep the itch for his bow muted. “I only did what I had to.”

She finally looked at him, and it was worse than when she avoided his gaze. Because she looked at him the same way Shado had once looked at him, after he killed his first man. Like he’d broken from the person he’d been before. And that other piece was floating away further and faster than he could grab.

“I know what Nikolay did,” she replied with a nod. “And it was wrong of him to put you and Akio in such danger. I also know that his fate would not have been any different had someone else been sent for him.”

“If I had a choice he’d still be here,” Oliver whispered more to himself than to her. Because he needed to believe those words more than he needed her too.

“In this life those choices are not ours to make,” she looked away again, focusing on the light coming through the crack in the balcony door. “Don’t let them take away all your choices. One day you won’t have the boy to look out for, and when that day comes you don’t have to stay here.”

“I’m not sure I’d have anywhere else to go,” he said with a shrug.

“I don’t believe that,” she straightened up taking a deep breath as she a smile graced her features. And if he hadn’t been talking to her just then, he would have sworn it was real. But he knew better. No one in the Bratva worked quite as hard to keep their mask as Sofia did. “I must be getting back now. You shouldn’t linger out here much longer either. Your absence will be noticed more than mine.”

He nodded, watching her leave, as the words settled. But he did believe it, more than anything in his life. And he wished he could blame it all on the deck being stacked against him. But he knew he had his own share of the weight to shoulder. A past full of sins that led him right onto his father’s boat. The Gambit. He’d never really felt the full meaning of the word until now. A sacrifice in order to gain an advantage. Oliver was starting to realize what his gambit was, and just how much that kind of sacrifice took out of you.

He shook his head once more. He really needed to get away from this place. Even if it was just for the afternoon. Akio was with Ana and her nanny for the rest of the day. And even though the party was for him, he figured he could probably sneak off for a bit. Anatoly wouldn’t be happy, but Oliver had a long while of following orders ahead of him. He needed to feel a sense of freedom, no matter how false it really was.  
\---

Tommy couldn’t feel anything but the burning in his lungs. Inhale. Exhale. Gasping for breath as they ran through the woods. Everything else was numb. Because he did the one thing he said he would never do.

He got separated from Felicity.

And even if they were going to meet up in a few hours, if the last few weeks had taught Tommy anything, it was that a _lot_ could happen in just a few hours.

He kept pace with John as best he could, which wasn’t saying much. He knew John was slowing down just to keep Tommy with him. He was holding the other man up. Tommy was just grateful that he hadn’t been left completely on his own.

“Just a little further,” John said, glancing back to where Tommy was straggling. “Looks like a spot up ahead where we can hide. Hopefully wait them out until we can meet back up with Lyla and Felicity.”

Tommy nodded, even if John wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was too out of breath to say anything back anyway. He pushed himself as hard and as fast as he could until finally he saw John slow ahead of him. Tommy halted beside him, listening through the woods for any sign of their pursuers. But everything seemed quiet.

“I,” Tommy said, attempting to talk even though he was gulping for air. “Can’t believe.” Another ragged breath in. “We lost.” This time a steadier breath as his heart rate slowed. “Lost them.”

John pulled Tommy into a small group of trees and kept his arm securely clamped over Tommy’s shoulder. “I don’t think we were the ones they were after,” John said quietly.

John’s words left a sickening feeling in Tommy’s stomach. All those guns firing, all those men trailing them. They were after Felicity.

“What do we do now, John?”

“First-- it’s Diggle. The only person who calls me John is Lyla. From everyone else it’s just… no.”

“Well I’m glad you picked now to tell me. You know, instead of a time when we’re running for our lives.”

Diggle leveled a glare at Tommy for that comment, his hand tightening on Tommy’s shoulder. “And second,” Diggle said, ignoring Tommy’s remark. “No more lip. You want to live you do what I say.”

Tommy’s face split into a smile, ready to call Diggle out for using words like ‘lip’ in regards to back-talking, but the look on the other man’s face was enough to keep Tommy from saying anything. His face fell immediately and he cleared his throat, waiting for Diggle to continue.

“Lyla’s safe house is on the other side of the city,” Diggle said, pulling a gun from a side holster. He pulled the clip out, looking it over before returning it to it’s place. “We can take the side streets for now, but that’s only gonna work until they decide to go after us too.”

“I noticed the subtle lack of the word if in that sentence.”

“Look kid, the stuff you and your friend have gotten into, it’s not a game,” he paused, like he was trying to sort his thoughts out before continuing. “The people Lyla works for, their at their worst when they feel their mission might be compromised.”

Tommy slumped against the trunk of a tree, shaking his head. “Then why does she work for them? They seem more villainous than helpful. Granted that could just be the ringing of bullets in my ear.”

He didn’t really expect a response, but Diggle surprised him with a smile. “Sometimes good people do things they know aren’t right, because the end result is something good. ARGUS isn’t the problem, hell Amanda Waller isn’t even the problem. But fear of things you can’t control, when you run something that powerful, it usually leads to this.”

Tommy nodded, because he really wasn’t sure what more he could add to that. “So you said side streets, what if they catch us there?”

“Densely populated areas. Lyla once told me ARGUS won’t risk killing civilians for a non-asset.”

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. If nothing else, they had that. He looked around for the first time since they’d stopped, now that he could think coherently without gasping for air. They were still in the woods but he could hear traffic not far away. They must be getting close to the city at least.

“So we get into a densely populated area as quickly as possible?” Tommy asked.

Diggle nodded, glancing out from around the trees they were hiding in to check their surroundings. When he was sure it was clear, he motioned for Tommy to follow him.

Tommy wondered idly as they made their way down onto the highway about how he’d found himself there. He wanted little more than to be reunited with Felicity and Oliver, to get back to Starling and to forget all of this ever happened. If he’d known back then-- back when he first met Felicity-- how things would transpire, would he still go through with it? Would she?

\---

Felicity had discovered something very interesting about herself over the last few eventful days of her trip. When one fears for their life they start to feel hyper aware of everything around them. It started when they were on the train to Moscow. Because she’d already been shot once by then, and John and Lyla were talking about people trying to kill Tommy because he didn’t mean anything. She thought she’d have a panic attack, she even felt the tendrils of one creeping up on her. But then she remembered something her mom had taught her when he father left. Donna had told her that no matter how scared or sad she got, nothing seemed scary when you took stock of what you’d already dealt with and survived.

But this went beyond fear. This went beyond anything she’d ever experienced before. Because she was laying on the ground with way more pain in her ankle then she should be feeling and people were closing in fast. Men who had tactical training and lots of very big, very powerful guns.

Lyla was at her side before she could think about what to do next, helping her back up to her feet, forcing her to keep going, despite the fact that they were slower now, much slower with Felicity’s arm around Lyla’s shoulder and her ankle feeling like it had been ripped in two. If it weren’t for the adrenaline, she was sure she’d be passed out on the ground back there by now.

“They’re getting too close,” Lyla said breathlessly. “This isn’t going to end well.”

“We already split up with John and Tommy,” Felicity hissed back. Lyla stopped them, leaning Felicity against a large rock.

“Wait!” Lyla’s voice was animated again, hopeful, which in Felicity’s estimation couldn’t be a bad thing. “Hear that?”

“Traffic,” Felicity answered, noting the dull roar coming from the east. “I’ll never make it there before they find us.”

Lyla nodded, handing Felicity a phone. “There are coordinates in there for the safe house. I’ll draw them away while you get into the city. Besides, I was seen fleeing with you and Tommy. My director will have questions for me and I’m not ready to give up the intel I was getting from inside. Not yet.”

“You’re leaving me alone? Like this?” Felicity was dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe she’d actually told Tommy they had to split up, just for Lyla to leave her.

“It’s either you go alone or we both get caught by my boss. And trust me, you really don’t want that.” Lyla’s voice was determined, but Felicity could see the compassion in her eyes. She pulled Felicity’s pant leg up, touching the tender area around her ankle to assess the damage. “Nothing’s broken, probably just a sprain. Think you can suck it up and get into the city?”

Felicity ground her teeth together, hissing in pain as Lyla touched the most painful spot, and then scrunched her nose in disapproval. “Do I have a choice?”

“Not really. Just keep going, you’ll have to fight through the pain. Adrenaline should take over before too long.” Lyla glanced around before pulling the clip out of her gun and checking her remaining rounds.

Felicity certainly wasn’t happy with the turn of events, but she also didn’t seem to have much choice. She nodded, pulling herself back to her feet and waiting for Lyla’s signal. Pushing weight onto her bad leg, she swore under her breath, garnering a look from the other woman.

“You can do this. Get into the city. All the other instructions are in there,” Lyla said, pointing to the phone. “I’ll see you later.” And the look on Lyla’s face was so determined, Felicity nearly believed her.

Felicity watched as Lyla took off, a shot from the woman’s gun ringing through the air, drawing their pursuants away from where Felicity was still hidden. She took a deep breath, and then with nerves that were steeled as much as they were going to be, she took off towards the city and the sounds of traffic.

It didn’t take her long to reach the highway, and by the time she was across it and into the city, she felt more exposed than ever. The forest had shielded her, kept her out of any and all prying eyes, but here anyone could be with the organization Lyla worked for. Felicity kept her head down and ducked into an alley before pulling out the cell phone Lyla had given her.

The phone contained two message threads; one a list of precautions Lyla and John had discussed before he had come to Paris, including the address of the safehouse that Lyla had mentioned. The second was from Amanda Waller, and as Felicity hated mysteries, she clicked on it, curious about what Lyla had been discussing with her superiors. Know your enemies, and all that.

What she found was nearly enough for the phone to slip from her hands. An entire file…. on her. A file complete with surveillance images from her time in China, information on her job, her financials, school grades, and… and…

“Mom,” Felicity gasped, horror coloring her voice and tears filling her eyes. Photo after photo of Donna, at work, at home. Felicity’s eyes hardened and she shoved the phone back in her pocket. She needed to process it all; tracking her was one thing, but her mother? Felicity wouldn’t stand for it, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if anything happened to Donna.

Her pulse thumped heavy in her ears and fatigue seemed to set in almost instantly. She needed time; time to think and figure out what her next step was going to be. Peeking her head out from the alley, she spotted a small coffee shop across the street. Coffee. Yes, that was just what she needed, a short break from it all to sit and drink a cup of coffee. That would help her sort everything out, Felicity was sure of it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Dears,  
> Here we are with chapter 16. Also known as the last chapter of 2015! I hope you all had wonderful holidays. And I hate to keep you from goodness any longer. So just think of this as your belated Christmas present from us.
> 
> xoxo, Kayla

Oliver had done more walking in the city the last couple of days than in their last months in Moscow combined.  Walking, endless walking, like he could leave the darkness of this life behind him.  But there was no leaving, there was no light at the end of the very long tunnel.  Just one bad choice after another; the once black and white lines ever greying, ever hazing, ever blurring.

There was a chill that settled on his spine the moment he killed Nikolay. And even as he ducked into the coffee house around the corner from his small apartment, Oliver was sure he couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that easily.  He ordered a coffee and sat at a table in the far corner, the only spot with a clear line of sight to both the front door and the back hallway.  His eyes scanned the room on instinct, never letting his gaze settle anywhere long.  Most of the patrons were locals he’d seen there every day; the location wasn’t much of a tourist attraction as it was in a bit of a rough neighborhood.  It was a great locale to be left alone to his thoughts, which was exactly what Oliver needed.

“Izvinite,” a meek voice with a poor imitation of a Russian accent said, pulling Oliver’s attention from his cup of coffee.

He couldn’t see who the voice belonged to, only the top of a blonde head of hair moving toward the counter, a stark contrast against the predominantly darker haired locals.  Oliver sank low in his seat, pulling his collar up around his ears.  He scanned the room again, noting a man entering- an agent, he was sure of it.  Because clearly he hadn’t had enough going on for one day.

Oliver swore under his breath, getting ready to make his move.  But then the woman came into view, with a weak grimace on her face and a horrified look in her eye.   Her gaze darted back and forth like she was waiting for something to happen, but he could tell she hadn’t spotted the agent yet.

Seconds ticked by as Oliver watched her and the man tailing her.  Because Oliver was growing more and more convinced that the agent was there for her-- not him.  He couldn’t imagine why; this woman wasn’t an agent, she wasn’t even especially good at flying under the radar, but there was no doubt in his mind that the agent didn’t even know Oliver was there.

Perhaps he felt it penance for the death still fresh in his mind and on his hands, or perhaps he needed to prove to himself that he wasn’t becoming as cold blooded as he felt, but Oliver felt a sense of protection for this woman, this scared, tiny blonde who seemed unable to protect herself.

Oliver was up and out of his seat before he could change his mind, moving deftly through the crowd toward the blonde at the counter.  He stayed a few feet to her left, reaching for a packet of sugar and emptying it into the cup of coffee he wouldn’t get to drink.  Keeping his head down, he glanced over at her, noting the dirt covering her coat and the small smudge of it on her forehead.

“Stay calm,” he said, loud enough for her to hear.  “But the men you’re running from are at your seven.”

Her eyes went wild and she tensed, but made no other movement, for which Oliver was grateful.  He really wasn’t looking for a shootout today, although his left hand had already loosed the pistol holstered under his coat.

“You understand English, good,” he said with a sour smirk.  “There’s a storage room up the hallway, second door on the left.  I don’t know who you are or what you’re running from, but I can get you out of here if you do exactly as I say.”

The woman had already moved, too suddenly, toward the hallway.  Oliver sighed, frustrated, and pulled the gun from it’s holster as he went after her.  He could hear shouting in Russian behind him, no doubt the agent calling for backup.  And then a shot rang from behind him and Oliver turned, watching the crowd scatter and take cover.  Everyone but the agent who was quickly moving in.  Oliver aimed and shot back, hitting the man in the leg- enough to slow his pursuit but not enough to kill.  Not now, not this close behind Nik, he couldn’t bring himself to do that.

He turned back, following the bouncing blonde ponytail down the hallway and into the storage room.  She nearly closed the door on him, pushing with her entire body weight against the door.  But Oliver was stronger, pushing inside and locking the door behind him.  He turned swiftly, looking for the woman, who had fallen from the force with which he used to get inside.

“Sorry,” he said gruffly.  “But you should have waited.”

“Do you think you can yell at me maybe after we get out of here?” she rebuffed harshly.  “Where’s your magical exit?”

Oliver pointed to an air duct in the ceiling.  “It connects down to the basement.  There’s a series of tunnels down there.”

The blonde narrowed her eyes at him, pulled herself up off the floor, and then headed for the window on the far wall.

“You can’t go that way,” he warned.  “They’ll be waiting for you.”  But she kept moving, nearing the window, no doubt about to compromise their position.  Oliver followed quickly, stopping her just as she hopped up on a pile of boxes, pushed the window open and poked her head out.

There was more yelling from outside and Oliver pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her middle and putting her down, roughly, back on the floor.  “I told you, you can’t go out that way,” he growled.

“No one asked you to help me,” she bit back, but there was pain mingled in her voice and she was favoring her left leg.  She yanked herself out of his grasp, which was good because now he had to find a way to block off the window to keep the agents from coming in that way.

“I thought you wanted to do the yelling after we got out of here,” Oliver ground out, reaching for her again.  “I’m going to lift you up, do you think you can stand on my shoulders with your bad leg?”

The woman narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly weighing her options, although they didn’t have a lot of time; even if she didn’t realize it, Oliver was acutely aware of the seconds ticking by.  “I’ll manage,” she said finally.

That was all the invitation he needed, quickly hoisting her up by her middle until she was sitting on his shoulder.  “Use the shelves to pull yourself up and I’ll get you to the vent.”  She was light, but unsteady as she pulled herself up to her feet.  He was glad she was wearing sneakers rather than heels, although from the mud caking the bottom of her pants, it didn’t seem like she was coming from an office nearby.

“Crazy question,” she asked when she got the cover off the vent, narrowly missing hitting him right in the face with it. “When I get up here how are you going to do the same? You look a little broad for air ducts.”

He waited until she was off his shoulders and safely above his head, before flashing the faintest of smiles. “Oh I’m not going that way.”

“What? Excuse me?”

“Someone has to draw their fire away from you,” he replied shaking his head. As the noise grew closer to the window. The did not have time to argue. “If these guys are as well trained as they look, this is your only option. I need you to trust me.”

She locked eyes with him, and for a split second he felt a tug a familiarity, like he’d seen her some place before but couldn’t place where. But that didn’t matter. Right now there was a threat too close for him to ignore, and he wouldn’t risk this girl’s life, because he needed to fly under the radar.

She nodded pursing her lips together. “How will I find you?”

“Follow the air duct all the way to the end, take the shaft on the right, it will lead you to the basement. Wait there for me,” Oliver said, grabbing for the cover to replace it. “No one in the shop uses it anymore.”

“Wait,” she called out before he put the metal back in place.

He sighed trying not to freak the girl out too much, but he really needed her to hurry up. “You’re gonna have to make this quick.”

“Thank you,” she said. He was afraid she was gonna start crying, something he couldn’t handle right this second. “Please be careful. I already have had too many people get stuck in these guys cross hairs and… Well you don’t deserve that.”

“Who knows, maybe I do,” Oliver muttered, looking down.

“I don’t believe that,” she nodded straightening her glasses. “Sorry, I should let you get going. Random stranger, who told me to climb into the ceiling even though I don’t even know your name. Wow I did not think this through.”

Oliver let out a breath, trying to fix her with a glare, but he felt his gaze soften before he could. “It’s Oliver. Now go. Please.”

She looked liked she wanted to speak again but he put the vent grate into place, cutting off her protests. He moved towards the door, as footsteps grew loud in the hall. Given the sound he would guess there was at least four sets of heavy boots. Military grade, with metal taps. A signature that screamed ARGUS. _Of course._ The girl was being targeted by the one group of people Oliver never wanted to see again.

He pulled his gun out again, letting his heartbeat steady. ARGUS or not he couldn’t let these guys take her. He knew what kind of things people like that would to to someone so trusting. And Oliver was done letting innocent people get hurt in front of him. There had to be another way for the world to work. But for now he just needed to get to the basement in one piece.

\---

It took them longer than Tommy would have liked to make it to the safehouse. Foot traffic in Moscow was surprisingly busy in the middle of the day, and as Diggle kept reminding him, they had to act like they weren’t trying to lose a tail.

He didn’t care though, because they did make it. And soon Felicity would be back with him. He wouldn’t let them get separated again. No matter what their newly appointed handlers said. Diggle and Lyla may be experts when it comes to guns and espionage, but Felicity was the only real friend Tommy had in his life. And he wasn’t going to lose her, not to something out of a Bond movie. They’d stick together and bring Oliver home.

“You think any harder over there and you might light the room on fire,” Diggle said coming to sit next to him, handing Tommy a glass of water. “Don’t worry so much. Lyla knows what she’s doing.”

“And as you keep reminding me, Felicity and I don’t,” he countered running a hand through his hair. “I have a right to be worried about someone I care about.”

“All I’m saying, is don’t worry yourself until you know there’s something to worry about. It’s not like it’ll do you any good.”

Tommy opened his mouth to protest. To remind the man that not everyone had that mentality built into them. But the sound of footfalls outside the door stopped him. Diggle stood up quick, drawing his sidearm, and moving, low towards the door. He raised his hand to Tommy, motioning for him to keep quiet.

_Yeah talking was exactly what I was thinking of doing right now_. He thought to himself, as he rolled his eyes.

A rhythmic knocking sounded on the door, that caused a smile to cross Diggle’s face. Diggle opened the door and pulled Lyla into a tight embrace. The kind of hug that you knew you weren’t supposed to be witnessing but it’s not like you could leave the room without being noticed.

“Sorry it took so long,” Lyla said when she pulled back. “I had to lose the extra guys, and then speak with Waller. I only just shook extra detail she thinks I need.”

Diggle nodded, but Tommy looked at her with confusion. Because someone was missing from this equation. “Where’s Felicity?”

Lyla froze, shifting her gaze around the small room, before settling on John. The pair shared one of their just-a-look conversations, before Lyla’s mouth fell into a hard line.

“She should have been here by now.”

“What the hell do you mean by that? You were supposed to be with her. That was the plan, the plan you two came up with by the way,” Tommy growled, as he felt anger and panic creep through his veins.

“I couldn’t shake the men Waller sent for us, and Felicity got hurt--”

“She’s hurt?”

“It’s a sprain, nothing bad. But separating was the best option. I left her with directions to the safehouse, while I drew their attention in another direction,” Lyla explained, shaking her head. “There’s no reason she shouldn’t be here already.”

“Well unless she’s hiding under the couch waiting to yell out ‘ _Surprise’_ she isn’t here,” Tommy said giving her a hard look. “I knew it. I shouldn’t have let us separate like that. Damn it, she could be anywhere. What if they already have her?”

“If Felicity was taken in I would have been notified.”

“Because the company you work for is such an upstanding, trusting organization?” He moved for the door, trying to push past them. But Diggle grabbed his arm holding him in place.

He fixed Tommy with a look. “You go around hollering and causing a scene, and ARGUS really will get to her before we can.”

“And why should I trust you?” he yanked his arm back. “Ever since we met you people it’s been nothing but lies and gun play. Hell how do I even know this wasn’t part of your plan? I mean the easiest way to take Felicity in would be to get me away from her.”

Diggle’s face grew fierce as he cut off Tommy’s line of sight with Lyla. “I get you’re upset right now, kid. But I have done nothing but risk my life for the past week. We are trying to help you. Now if Lyla says Felicity isn’t with ARGUS, then she isn’t. So take a breath and calm down. We will find her.”

He took a step back, not because Diggle told him too, but because he knew the man could knock him to the floor if he was tempted. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the voice in his head. The one that kept insisting that losing Felicity was all his fault. He should be with her. It was the plan. Hell they’d been together so much over the last month, they never even needed to call each other.

The thought sparked in his head. If Felicity could call him she would, he knew she had his number memorized. He pulled his phone from his pocket, turning it back on.

“Are you insane? ARGUS is tracking your cell. You might as well paint a target on the door,” Lyla hissed, moving to grab the phone from him. But it began to ring and he hit accept before she could.

“Felicity?” he said with a pleading tone. He needed it to be her.

“Try again.”

Tommy cursed under his breath. He really should have checked the caller id first.  “Dad, hello.”

“You remember your father,” Malcolm replied, his tone snide and cold. “See after three days of trying to call you I assumed you developed amnesia, but I’m so glad to hear that isn’t the case. How about the job you’re supposed to be on, do you remember that?”

“Yes, Dad. But something came up,” he turned from Lyla and Diggle, and walked the room. “And I’ve been unavoidably detained.”

“Tommy everyone goes through their youthful indiscretions, and some carry those into adulthood, but when you are traveling for Merlyn Global you are an ambassador for our company and I expect you to do so with the same dedication I would. Now I need you at the offices in Monte Carlo tomorrow.”

“I can’t be in Monte Carlo tomorrow,” he replied quickly.

“It’s amusing you thought that was a request,” Malcolm said. “There is a shareholders meeting tomorrow at noon. You will be there, this isn’t a discussion.”

“I’m dealing with something that needs my full attention right now.”

“Your job needs your full attention right now,” his father seethed. “You will get to your nearest airport and then text me the location, where the jet will pick you up and bring you to Monte Carlo. This is not up for debate. Either you are at that meeting or you can kiss your trust fund and your job goodbye. Do I make myself clear?”

Tommy fought the remarks he really wanted to say back before clearing his throat. “Crystal.”

“Good,” he could hear how pleased his father sounded. “See you tomorrow.”

He ended the call dropping to the couch behind him. “I have to go to Monte Carlo.”

Diggle and Lyla moved closer, watching him closely.

“One of my best friends is missing somewhere in this city and the other might very well be hiding out here too,” he paused as he wrung his hands together. “But if i don’t get on a plane and go to a stupid company meeting, I’m going to lose the only means I have of finding either of them.”

“Tommy,” Lyla said as she sat beside him. “I know you’re angry and upset, but I’m going to find her. I made you both a promise that I would keep her safe. So you go and I swear to you that she will be alright.”

He didn’t want to trust her. He didn’t want to trust either of them anymore. But they were all he had in the way of resources. “Okay. I’m trusting you.”  Tommy pressed the power button on his cell phone until it shut off again, cutting off the only way Felicity had to get in touch with him, but needing to stay under ARGUS’s radar just the same.  He dropped the phone into his lap and his head fell forward into his hands.  Frustrated, he raked his fingers through his hair, cursing the moment they stepped foot out with Diggle and Lyla.  Even if they were his only hope right now, he couldn’t help but feel like they’d been better off alone-- just him and Felicity against the world.

It was amazing how quickly everything could change.

\---

Okay it was time to process things. Because really what else did she have to do until Oliver came to get her?  She still couldn’t believe it was Oliver, but she knew it had to be. How many Olivers could their possibly be in Russia? And with those piercing Queen blue eyes. She knew those eyes well. She had worked under Moira Queen for months, had stared at that photo of Oliver on her desk, not to mention poring over surveillance feeds for the last few months.

She was surprised she hadn’t noticed when she’d first looked at him. His hair was shorter sure, cropped close to his head, instead of long and ragged like the most recent photo she had, but it’s not like he had plastic surgery. Though he was a lot buffer than she’d imagined. Not that Felicity sat and imaged Oliver’s arm muscles. Or any of his muscles. The point was, she could see why a top secret government organization wanted him to work for them.

She froze at the sound of someone on the stairs. Panic, coursing through her veins, which had actually become some sort of perverse security blanket for her recently. She wasn’t sure how she would return to normal life when this was all over.

The sound kept a steady path, descending the steps, and Felicity looked around trying to find anything to defend herself with. Her eyes landed on an old metal trash lid in triumph. It wasn’t ideal, but it could work.

She held it in front of her, ready to bash it into the intruder when the door swung open. She put all her weight into it, determined not to let the goons get their hands on her. But the guy was strong, so strong he pulled the lid from her grasp, throwing it to the ground.

She was readying herself to scream, jerking away.

“Hey, hey, calm down it’s just me,” she heard him say, his hand brushing her arm. “You’re safe.”

Felicity let the adrenaline flush from her system, as her breath came in ragged spurts. She focused on his face. On Oliver’s face. Until she growled in annoyance, shoving her arms into his chest.

“Any kind of warning would have been nice,” she seethed. “I could have hurt you with that thing.”

Oliver shifted his gaze between her and the discarded weapon, the hint of a smile curling onto his face. “I really don’t think you could have.”

She glared, crossing her arms in front of her. “Fine, maybe not. But you could have at least announced yourself before barging in. I could have gone into cardiac arrest. Not that heart disease is common in my family, but panic attacks are. So thank you for almost giving me one of those.”

He sighed with a little shake of his head, before looking her in the eye. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she said taking a shaking breath. “I overreacted. Well considering my recent history with guns and goons, it didn’t feel like an overreaction. But I’m sorry I snapped.”

“It’s not any of my business,” Oliver started, as his eyes shifted around the room. “But why are they after you?”

“Why?” Felicity parroted nodding along. “That’s a good question. And one that really deserves an answer, considering you just saved my life. And well, you didn’t have to. Um, wow okay. I should just do this. Like a band aid, rip it off Felicity. Oh that’s me by the way. Felicity. In case you were wondering, even though you didn’t ask. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that.”

“Felicity,” he cut in, licking his bottom lip. “If you don’t want to tell me you don’t have to. I get needing a sense of secrecy.”

Felicity took a deep breath, because she needed to tell him. She needed him to know that she’d come here looking for him. That Tommy was looking for him. She opened her mouth to speak, when a rapping sounded on the basement window.

Felicity tensed, but Oliver went towards it, lifting the window up. A man was on the other side, he was older than Oliver, probably old enough to have children her age, and he spoke to Oliver in Russian.

“The guys who were following you have been taken care of,” Oliver said turning back to her. “But they might have tracked you here. If you have anything on you that they could use to follow you, I suggest you leave it here.”

She thought of the phone Lyla gave her, the one that had a direct line of messages to Amanda Waller. It was the only thing keeping her from being totally off the grid. But it was also the only line she had to Tommy. She didn’t want to give that up. She looked at Oliver, a man who didn’t know her at all, but still was risking his life to save hers. She’d come all this way to find him. To bring him home. She’d never forgive herself if she ruined all that by giving ARGUS a direct line to him.

She pulled it from her bag, dropping it to the concrete floor, before nodding to him. “That’s all I have they could be tracking.”

“Good,” Oliver said turning back to the man. “We need to get her somewhere safe.”

“Always so trusting Oliver,” the man said, shifting his gaze to Felicity. “Do you not remember your most recent history?”

“She’s not Nik,” Oliver hissed at the man, before moving back to Felicity. “These guys probably called for backup, so we need to go.”

“Oliver look there’s something I have to,” she stopped herself as she met his gaze. She couldn’t do this yet, not there in a dusty basement while ARGUS was breathing down their necks. “It’s not important. I can tell you later.”  


He reached for her hand, pulling her towards the window. And Felicity knew from that moment on things were only going to get more interesting.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!!!
> 
> I see how much everyone has loved the Olicity now that it has happened. And let me tell you it's been quite a joy to write. Let's not waste anymore time with me chatting and get right to the reason you're all here. 
> 
> xoxo,   
> Kayla

Calling in the cavalry, so to speak, hadn’t been Oliver’s first plan as far as getting Felicity to safety, but when she’d drawn attention to herself not once, but twice in a matter of just a couple of minutes, he knew that he’d have to do something drastic in order to get her out of that cafe alive.  So he’d made the call to Anatoly and three men had been there in a matter of just a couple of minutes.  And now, this petite blonde who could barely stand on her own two feet was being interrogated by two of the highest ranking members of the Russian mob.

Probably not how she’d envisioned her day going.

Oliver was standing outside the room as Anatoly and his brother hurled question after question at her.  He could hear her responses to every one and he was sure she’d been in there so long because she was dodging or deflecting nearly every question they asked her.

“Why is a secret US government agency looking for you?” Anatoly asked for at least the tenth time in the last two hours.

“Because I’m really good at what I do,” she answered, her voice holding far more snark and sarcasm than it had in the beginning.

Oliver had to applaud her for standing up to Anatoly the way she did.  It wasn’t the smartest choice, but the woman had guts- he had to give her that.

“And what is that exactly?”

“Are you really expecting me to say something different than the last eight times you’ve asked me this, boys?” she sighed and it was good that Oliver wasn’t in the room, because he couldn’t help the grin that split his face at her calling Anatoly and  Mikhail ‘boys’.  “I hack computer systems.  It’s what I do.  I’d show you, but you don’t actually… you know… have a computer in here anywhere.”

“We are working on that,” Mikhail answered, his accent much thicker than his brother’s.

“Oliver!” Anatoly called, and he responded immediately, perhaps a little too eagerly, entering the room and coming to stand beside the blonde.  “You have heard our conversation with this girl.”  Oliver nodded in response, so Anatoly continued.  “I hope this will not be a habit, you abusing your position within the brotherhood like you have today.”

Oliver bowed his head; it hadn’t even been something he’d considered at the time, just that he needed help.  But these men were under his command now so it wasn’t just a request coming from a friend, it was a directive coming from a superior.  “No, Anatoly.”

“Good.  Once is fine.  Twice is coincidence,” he gave Oliver a knowing look.  After all, hadn’t both his and Akio’s lives been spared when Oliver had saved Sofia upon first arriving in Moscow.  “Three times is--”

“It won’t happen again,” Oliver interrupted.

“Your girl, your responsibility,” Anatoly warned.

“I’m not his--”

“We need to keep an eye on her,” Oliver said, cutting Felicity off.  “American government agencies being around here is bad for business and puts us all at risk.  You all have done a lot to keep me safe, I can’t have it all be for nothing.  Not now.”

The memory of Nik was still too fresh in his mind.  Oliver had done what he had to do to keep himself and Akio safe, but he couldn’t let that be in vain.  Keeping Felicity safe and away from whoever was after her, especially if it was ARGUS, was his only choice.

“Besides,” Oliver continued.  “Perhaps her  _ highly coveted _ skillset can be of use to us.”

This seemed to please Mikhail, who grinned wickedly at the notion.  “You will keep the girl with you,” he said.  “As Anatoly said, your girl, your responsibility.”

“I understand,” Oliver said with a nod.  He grabbed Felicity by the arm, despite her protests, and led her from the room.  She continued to struggle against him as he nearly dragged her down the hallway and out the back door of the restaurant.  “What the hell do you think you were doing in there?” he demanded.  “Do you have any idea who you were speaking to?”

Felicity yanked her arm free, staggering back a little and then wincing when she landed hard on her left leg.  “Your girl,” she scoffed.  “How dare they.  I don’t care if you are Oliver Queen.”

“What?” Oliver asked incredulously, because hearing his last name was like a slap in the face.  He hadn’t given anyone-- least of all this complete stranger-- his full name.  “How do you know my name,” he demanded in his angry voice.

“You told me,” she answered, her eyes wild.  “Back at the cafe you--”

“I told you Oliver.  Now tell me what I want to know before I bring you back in there and let them decide what to do with you.  I promise it won’t be pretty or painless.”

Felicity cleared her throat and then bit down on her bottom lip like she wasn’t sure how to say what she was about to say.  “I know who you are…” she started, her voice cautious.  “Because I came here looking for you.”

Oliver grabbed her arm, spinning them both around back toward the restaurant.  He didn’t have time for games, and if that’s what she was playing at, he would make sure it ended promptly.

“Wait!” she shrieked, digging her heels in.  “I’m here with Tommy!”  He froze and a shiver ran the length of his spine at the name.  “We’ve been tracking you since Starling.  I work for him… I mean with him… I mean, we’ve been working together to find you.  First in Hong Kong, then we got this stupid fake lead to Paris and then a couple of days ago I got a hit on Facebook of all places, which I’m still not sure how it happened, but please let go of me, I can take you to him.  I can--”

“T-Tommy is… here?” He kept his hand on her arm, but loosened the grip. He couldn’t let go completely though. Too afraid that if he did, he could lose Tommy all over again. 

She nodded, letting her fingers curl around his hand. “He never gave up on you. Drove himself crazy for a while, but he never once thought you were gone.”

Oliver took a considerable step back. He’d been acting and reacting on autopilot for so long, he’d resigned himself to the hollow feeling that settled in his chest when he thought about his loved ones. But hearing Tommy’s name, knowing that Felicity had spent time with him, it was like she’d opened him up again. 

“How-- I mean. The last time I saw him,” he couldn’t finish that thought. He didn’t want to remember holding his friend hostage in an attempt to make him believe Oliver Queen was dead. 

“Hong Kong, about six months ago,” she supplied. “He had a phone stashed on him. Recorded the whole thing. And that brought him to me, which after some terrifying moments, brought us to you.”

“Where is he?” he asked, pulling his hand back from hers. He hadn’t even realized they’d still been touching. “Tommy’s not one to ditch a pretty girl in strange city.”

Felicity took to biting her lower lip, as she tried not to meet his eyes. “We got separated. ARGUS attacked the train we were on. And the people who were helping us said that it would be easier to get away from them if we split up. And then I got separated from my person, because of a stupid sprain. And I was supposed to go straight to the safehouse, but I had a mild freak out about ARGUS and trusting someone I barely know, and Amanda Waller had sent this woman all this information on my life and my mother. And you don’t know me very well, but the only family I have in this world is my mom, okay?  And if anything happened to her because of me, I really couldn’t handle that.”

He reached for her again, pulling her to his chest. He wasn’t sure why, it was almost like she was smoke and if he didn’t hold on tightly she’d disappear, making every piece of him that was still connected to home disappear right along with her.  He’d barely let anyone this close to him in ages, but there was something about Felicity. Something that tugged at him desperately, begging to keep her safe. “It’s okay,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion as his arms stayed wrapped around her.

“It’s not,” she pulled back having regained some of her composure. “Because yeah I found you which is great, but I can’t contact Tommy. I don’t have the PDA with the location for the safe house, and calling his cell is only going to ping his location.”

“These people you were traveling with, how do you know you can trust them?” 

“That’s just it. I blindly trusted someone who could very well be selling me out to terminally terrifying government goons,” Felicity huffed, running her hands across her face. “But I do trust her. Lyla risked her life and her husband’s life to get me and Tommy out of Paris.”

He didn’t know what else to say. Part of him wanted to go and find the safe house, to hell with Anatoly and his damn rules. But he couldn’t be reckless. That would just get Tommy hurt. Oliver had done a lot he’d have to learn to live with, but he wouldn’t be able to keep it up if he caused something to to happen to his best friend. 

“We’ll go back to my place, and figure things out in the morning,” he said, moving closer to her. “But it’s probably better if we don’t tell anyone else. If Anatoly found out, I’m not sure what he’d do... but I don’t think it would end well.”

She took a deep breath, and he was grateful she wasn’t going to fight him on this. He’d only known her a couple hours, but he could already tell Felicity was not going to do a lot of things the easy way.

“Now is there anything else I should know?” He asked, as he placed his hand on her back, guiding her steps forward.

“Tommy and I were also on a ‘reunite the Yamishiro’s’ mission after we met your friend Maseo,” she whispered to him.  “Assuming… I mean… I found surveillance from Hong Kong.  You had Akio with you until you two disappeared.”

Oliver was further surprised by this information. Tommy and Felicity had found Maseo?  And she’d gotten her hands on footage from Hong Kong. Apparently her ‘highly coveted skills’ weren’t for nothing. The gnawing feeling in his gut only grew thinking about Maseo and Tatsu without their son all these months. If Maseo trusted Felicity and Tommy enough to tell them anything at all, Akio’s parents must be out of their minds.

He sighed, despite the small and foreign smile he felt growing.

“Bet you didn’t expect all that when you approached me in the cafe back there,” she said. 

Her words were like a switch inside him, bringing him back to the real world.  The real world where good things didn’t happen to him.  The real world where agents were disguised as pretty girls in need of help in order to infiltrate the Bratva or bring Oliver and Akio back to Hong Kong or any number of despicable things.  He couldn’t let her near Akio until he had proved her story to be true, because all of these coincidences seemed to be adding up to a whole lot of nothing.

“You said you don’t have the PDA with the safe house address,” he said, his voice losing all of it’s warmth.  “What happened to it?”

“You told me to get rid of anything that could be tracked,” she said, narrowing her eyes.  “It’s on the floor in the basement of the cafe.”

He eyed her closely, watching to see if she gave anything away. He was stupid to trust another person so blindly, time and time again it only lead to the worst for him. “Right, which coincidentally is the only proof you have that you’re telling the truth.”

“Wait now you think I’m lying?” she scoffed with a shake of her head. “Why would I do that? You literally just threatened my life with your terrifying mob friends back there.”

“Yeah, a pair of people who make their own family cringe from time to time, but you stared them down like you were ordering a pizza,” Oliver countered, cursing himself. “God I’m so stupid. You’re clearly working for Waller.”

“Look I don’t know what you’ve been through the last three years,” Felicity said, and he could see her debating taking a step closer to him. He was glad when she didn’t. “I’m sure it was hell, but I’m only here to help. I can’t show you the safe house, but I can prove that I know Maseo.”

She held a hand up while her other dug into her coat pocket until she pulled out a satellite phone. She held it out to him. “It’s untraceable. There’s one number in it and it belongs to the phone Tommy and I gave your friend. If you don’t trust me fine, call him yourself.”

\---

Leave it to Malcolm Merlyn to throw an even bigger wrench in their plans than just losing Felicity.  Tommy was ready to scream in frustration, but settled for kicking an empty chair, causing it to go skidding across the room.

“Feel better?” Diggle asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No.  No I don’t feel better,” Tommy answered dryly.  “You know why? Because your wife let Felicity out of her sight, we’ve got no way to contact her and now I have to fly to Monte-fucking-Carlo to go to some B.S. shareholders meeting that is really just a ruse for my father to make sure I’m still in line.”

“The coordinates,” Lyla said, drawing Tommy’s attention, not because of what she said, but because of how unphased she seemed at his accusations.  “The ones I gave Felicity.”  She reached into her pocket, pulling out a cellphone.  “They were on my work PDA.  I might be able to contact her if it’s still turned on.”

“And what do we think the odds of that are?” Tommy asked.  He walked toward the chair he’d assaulted and righted it, dropping into the seat from exhaustion.  Everything about this was exhausting- the running, the hiding, the losing Felicity, the not knowing where Oliver was, the fact that he had to be on a plane in 12 hours.  It all caught up to him in one breath-holding minute as Lyla raised the phone to her ear in attempt to call Felicity.

“It’s off,” she said, voice weary and defeated.  That seemed to be the theme of the day.

Tommy rubbed his temples, trying to wrap his head around what he was about to do.  Because it wasn’t just anybody he was leaving behind; it was Felicity, the girl he’d roped into this, the one he’d sworn to protect at any cost.  And at that moment she could be anywhere.

“Well, sitting here thinking about what a mess this is, isn’t going to do anything to make it better,” Diggle said, grabbing his coat and shrugging into it.  “I’m going to do a sweep of the neighborhood.  You two decide how we’re going to play this.”

Tommy dragged his eyes up from the floor to see Diggle drop a kiss on the top of Lyla’s head, and then was gone.

“I swear to you, Tommy, it was the only way,” Lyla said, meeting his eyes.

Tommy heaved a sigh.  “I believe you.  I don’t think you’d do anything to hurt her intentionally.  And I don’t blame you.  I just wish I didn’t have to go.”

“I think Johnny should go with you,” she said, making her way to a painting hanging on the wall and pulled it down, revealing a safe built into the wall.  “I’m sure ARGUS is going to be tracking you to get to Felicity and I’d feel better knowing you weren’t alone.”

A flicker of a smirk ghosted across Tommy’s face and then disappeared.  “I’m touched,” he snarked.  “But I’m more concerned about Felicity.”

“And John isn’t cleared to be on this case with me.  I’ll get a lot less flack from my boss if he goes with you.”  She cracked the safe open, pulling out a box with badges, ID’s, passports and random currency.  She dug around until she found what she was looking for and dropped it on the table; a sealed manila envelope.  “Take this with you to the private airport outside Moscow.  The government agent whose name is on the envelope will have… sufficient motivation to help you get out of the country unnoticed.”

Tommy raised a brow, taking the envelope; he was curious about the contents, but not enough to open it in front of her.  “And you’ll do everything possible to find her?  You’ll contact me as soon as you do?”

Lyla nodded and Tommy let out another sigh.  He still couldn’t believe he was even considering it, let alone going through with it.  He should just tell his dad to screw off, and he had half a mind to do just that, if it wouldn’t have left him stranded in Russia with no money, no contacts and no way of getting home.  He was much more at his father’s mercy than he’d ever realized.

Before he could change his mind, Tommy sent the text to his father, telling him that the jet should pick him up in Moscow. His father’s reply was almost immediate.

_I won’t even ask why._ _11PM local time tonight._

At least that was taken care of for now. He knew he’d have to come up with some story though. Malcolm Merlyn was a lot of things, but he wasn’t known for letting things go. And Tommy showing up in Monte Carlo after complete radio silence, alone at that, would raise questions with his father. One’s he couldn’t tell any version of the truth to get out of.

It was too much. It had been from the moment he bumped into Felicity on the elevator. They dove into all this head first, and never considered the fallout. Oliver was important to him, he always would be, but Felicity had become just as important. And right now he felt like he was letting them both down. Like he was failing at the one thing he could do for his best friends. 

Unfortunately, Tommy had little choice in the matter, and four hours later he and Diggle were crammed into the back seat of a tiny car being driven to the airport by one of Lyla’s contacts in Russia.  The man spoke in clipped Russian sentences and Tommy hoped that Diggle understood better than he did.

The drive was long, with many twists and turns to ensure that they weren’t being followed and Tommy scanned every face they came across in hopes of spotting her.  By the time the driver stopped at the airport, Tommy was not only further frustrated about leaving Felicity behind, he was also pretty sure once they got Felicity and Oliver back, he was never returning to Russia ever again.

“I know you don’t have a reason to,” Diggle said as they entered the security checkpoint in search of their morally corrupt security guard.  “But you should trust Lyla.  I do, with my life.  Every day.”

Tommy tried to keep it in mind, although it was a lot to ask of him.  After all, the vast majority of their problems started the day Felicity and Lyla bumped into each other in Paris.  He nodded in response to Diggle.  “Right now I’m trusting you.  I hope that’s good enough.”

\---

Felicity tried to fight off the cold as night began to descend. She was trying to hide her discomfort from Oliver, who was still on the phone with Maseo and his wife Tatsu. They were so relieved to get their call, she could hear it in their voices. Oliver kept apologizing for not having Akio with him so they could speak to the boy. But even without their son’s presence, this was all the confirmation Felicity had needed to know she’d done the right thing signing on to Tommy’s mission. 

Hell even Oliver seemed lighter once he ended the call, handing the phone back to her. She gave it a once over before meeting his eye. “You sure you can trust me with it?”

He forced a smile, insisting she take the object. “Given the things I do, you can’t fault me for being cautious.”

“I suppose not,” she dropped the phone back to her pocket, sighing. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he replied, leaning into the bricks behind him. She watched as he took a deep breath, like the world’s weight had lessened a little. “I knew I wanted to get him home, but I was starting to wonder if I’d ever be able to. Or if I’d just, ruin him like I seem to do everything else.”

She didn’t know what to say, what words could comfort someone who seemed so lost in the dark waters. This time she did shiver, not being able to hold the cold out any longer. 

Oliver noticed. She wondered if there was anything he didn’t, with how attentive his eyes seemed to move. He’d pushed off the wall, and was stripping off his jacket before she could process the movement. 

“Here,” he held it out to her. “If you’re not used to Russian nights, it gets pretty damn cold.”

“What about you?” she asked, but took the coat anyway. It was really cold. 

“It’s not a long walk,” he replied, nodding for her to follow. And she did. 

He was right, the walk to Oliver’s place was relatively short. They didn’t talk though, even if she’d tried. She had about twenty potential conversation starting questions, which he managed to answer one of three ways. Nodding, shrugging, and her personal favorite the glare that would turn into an eye roll. She was starting to learn that Oliver Queen was not a very chatty person. It didn’t surprise her. She never really imagined him to be the talkative type. Unlike Tommy who could and would fill a room with his smile and his stories, Oliver seemed like he was more content with quiet. Like he was afraid he’d say too much, get too attached to the words and the company. So after about ten conversation attempts Felicity stopped trying, falling into stride next to him. 

When they finally reached his apartment, Oliver went in before her, surveying the room as she followed. 

A young couple was in the main room, the woman looking like she couldn’t be any older than Felicity herself. The man on the other hand, was built like Oliver, and scowled when they entered.

“Hey,” Oliver greeted, as the woman stood. “How was he?”

“Akio is always good. He’s been out a couple hours now,” she replied, eyeing Felicity. “How was your evening? You skipped the end of your party.”

“Told you I’m not much for parties,” Oliver countered with a small grin. Turning to the man. “Thanks for keeping an eye on them Ivan.”

“Sofia’s here, I don’t mind,” he said standing behind who she assumed was Sofia. “I should get you home before Mikhail wonders where we are.”

Oliver saw them out, while Felicity wandered the room. She didn’t know what she’d pictured his place to look like, but this was a far cry from whatever image she’d concocted. She found herself, by the window. Watching the lights of the city reflect off the river’s edge. 

“It’s the Moskva River,” Oliver said, startling her. He was standing next to her, offering her a tight smile. She had a feeling he didn’t do that too often. “The only perk to this crappy apartment.”

“I kind of like it,” she murmured, shrugging out of his coat. “Reminds me of my dorm room from college.”

“And when were you in college? Last week?” 

“Haha,” she rolled her eyes. “It was less than a year ago though.”

“Ah,” Oliver raised a brow. She could hear the question he wasn’t asking.

“I met Tommy at your family’s company,” she explained. “I had just started working there, fresh from MIT. He came by the night of his birthday and we ran into each other. Literally.”

“The night of his birthday?”

“Also known as the night you were in Starling City,” she offered. He tried to hide his shock but she just smirked. “I’m an IT prodigy. If I can hack several government and military grade satellites just to track your pretty face all over the globe, I can check data logs when people use their fingerprint ID’s to log into QC’s computers.”

“My family… They don’t know do they? That I’m alive?”

She shook her head as he sighed in relief. “Would it be so bad if they did? I’m sure they miss you Oliver.”

“How much danger have you been in since you and Tommy started this?” he asked, leaning himself against the window ledge. “Honestly.”

She pursed her lips, knowing there was no reason to lie now. “A lot, more than I’d wish on anyone.”

“If my family knew I was alive, they’d be in danger too,” he replied. “You said earlier that Waller had a file on your mother. So you get it. Amanda’s not the kind of person who backs down when she sees someone she views as an asset. I can’t put my mom and my sister in this. I won’t. They’re too important to me.”

She wanted to remind him he wasn’t in it alone anymore. That he had her and Tommy. Not that Tommy was here, but still. Only they had just met, and even if he was starting to trust her now, they were still strangers.

“You can have the couch,” he said, pulling her from her thoughts. “I’d give you the room, but with Akio. He sleeps better in there.”

She nodded, walking towards the couch, before her eyes drifted around the room. “Deja vu.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, just you and Tommy must have went to the same chivalry school or something, the whole sacrificing sleeping surfaces thing,” she mused.

“I’m sure if we did we both were kicked out after a few lessons,” he said, and Felicity couldn’t help but laugh at his sense of humor. 

There was something in his look that followed that struck her, even if she couldn’t completely identify it.  Something that told her this wasn’t really Oliver, at least, not the Oliver that existed today.  The smiles and the humor, it was forced, like it was solely for her benefit.

“So, the sofa…” she said, clearing her throat.

Oliver nodded.  “There’s blankets and a pillow back behind,” he answered, gesturing behind the couch.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile that she hoped conveyed all of her gratitude.  She wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring, or even what the next minutes or hours would bring.  ARGUS could have them surrounded right now for all she knew, but she took a small comfort in knowing that everything she and Tommy had spent so many hours and days and weeks trying to accomplish was finally within reach.

“Here,” Oliver said quietly, holding a tshirt out to her.  She’d been so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed him move.  “Bathroom is through there,” he gestured across the small space.  “You can use the shower to wash your clothes if you need to.”

“Oh, you noticed I packed a little light?” Felicity asked, trying to keep things light.

“I did,” he answered.

“If I’m taking the couch then where will you… I mean, just in case I need you.  Not that I’d need you, I didn’t mean that I’d need… you,” Felicity could feel herself getting flustered, never a good sign when it came to her babbling.  “Just, I mean, if I have any questions about where cups are, like for water…”

Oliver had a brow raised in confusion?  Amusement?  She really couldn’t be sure, but either way it was not helping with the whole her being flustered thing.

“Cups are in the cupboard next to the fridge, but I’d suggest the bottled water.  I’ll grab a towel and extra toothbrush for you from the closet and I’ll be sleeping on the floor next to the couch, so I’d appreciate it if you watch where you step if you get up in the middle of the night.”

Felicity swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks burning.  She nodded, turning toward the bathroom and disappearing inside before locking herself in.

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies,  
> So you get another dose of Kayla this week, in all aspects of fic delivery. (As you may have noticed I even did all replies). Because our dear, sweet Cassie is in the hospital recovering from surgery. Please send her all your well wishes for a speedy recovery.  
> That being said we're just gonna skip ahead to the reason ya'll came in here.  
> Enjoy.  
> xoxo,  
> Kayla

Oliver hadn't slept much; not that he really had at all since the Gambit went down, but this was different. Every other night had been about survival, and to some extent it was still about that-- always being prepared, never being caught off guard.  But everything that he'd learned from Felicity over the last several hours had fixed itself in his memory like a glowing ember; one that felt remarkably like hope. 

He had called Ivan a little before dawn to see about tracking down the device Felicity had left in the basement of the  café . Even if they were planning on meeting up with Maseo to reunite the Yamashiro family, Oliver couldn't do anything until he had Tommy safe and by his side. 

He was roused from sleep by the smell of coffee and dishes clattering in the kitchen. Despite not getting much sleep, he felt more rested than he had in a long time. 

"Oliver look!" Akio said animatedly. “Felicity makes pancakes with faces on them.”

Pushing himself up onto his elbows and then to a fully sitting position, Oliver rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched his back out before being pulled toward the kitchen by the excited boy.  There, he found the pancakes, though more charred than was accustomed for the breakfast food, and woman in question.

“I figured, I mean, you already had everything in the cabinet and I really couldn’t sleep.  I hope you don’t mind.”  Felicity’s hair was loose around her shoulders, the shirt he’d given her the night before had already been replaced with her now-clean clothes.

He shook his head, running a hand through his hair before putting pressure on a tense spot at the back of his neck.  “You two have met, then.”

Felicity nodded.  “I didn’t… I mean, he doesn’t know anything,” she said quietly, although Akio looked between the two of them with a confused expression on his face.

Oliver poured himself a cup of coffee, which smelled better, more like home, than he’d ever been able to achieve.

“Are you two going to share the bedroom now... like my mom and dad do?” Akio asked.

Oliver sputtered the coffee in his mouth, coughing and choking as he looked awkwardly between Akio and Felicity.  The boy was still slightly confused, but the tomato-red of Felicity’s face mixed with the slightly horrified expression she wore made Oliver feel a little less embarrassed by his own response.

“What? No!” Felicity exclaimed and then cleared her throat, bending down so that she was at eye-level with Akio who had taken a seat at the table.  “I’m just here to help you and Oliver get--”  She broke off mid-sentence, turning to Oliver to let him explain.

“Felicity came here from Hong Kong,” he explained.  “She and I talked to your dad yesterday and we are working on getting everything set to take you home.”

“Really?!” Akio’s eyes lit up and he bounded off the seat, his arms a fierce hug around Oliver’s neck.  “Thank you Oliver.  I knew you would find a way to get me home.”

Oliver hadn’t realized how bad off the kid was, but if the length and tightness of the hug had anything to say about it, Akio was long overdue to be returned to his parents.

There was a knock and the door and Oliver dislodged himself from Akio’s grasp and moved to open it.  The peephole confirmed that it was Ivan and Oliver opened the door immediately, eager for news about Tommy.

Ivan’s face, which rarely held any sort of enthusiasm, was grim and Oliver felt his own jaw clench in response.  He had been so eager, so hopeful to see Tommy that he’d forgotten why he’d stopped letting himself feel those emotions in the first place.

“There was nothing,” Ivan said, his accent thick, despite his almost daily practice of English with Oliver around.

“Thank you,” Oliver said with a quick nod.  “I will be over later to speak with Anatoly.”

Ivan nodded but glanced passed Oliver into the apartment where Felicity and Akio were talking animatedly about Maseo and Hong Kong.

“That’s all,” Oliver said firmly, closing the door before Ivan could question him further.  Oliver turned back to survey the scene in his kitchen, trying to recall if any woman other than Sofia had ever been inside his apartment.  None came to mind.

“Oliver did you ever see the buddhas on Lantau Island?” Akio asked with a grin.  “Felicity and Tommy went there and counted over one hundred!”

At the mention of Tommy’s name, Oliver felt another pang of something-- Frustration? Jealousy? over not being able to get more intel on his friend’s whereabouts.  Because once again it was two steps forward, twelve steps back.  Oliver always seemed to be just reaching for something before it was snatched away.

“So Akio, what do you do when Oliver is working?” Felicity asked, pulling Oliver’s focus back out of his own head.

“School,” Akio pouted.  “Oliver said we were going on a vacation and then made me go to school.”

Oliver met Felicity’s eyes and found an amused expression on her face.  “School?” she questioned.

Oliver shrugged.  “Seemed like the thing to do.  Just some private lessons with the niece of… my boss.”

“Anatoly Knyazev?” Felicity asked.

“How did you--”

She held up her tablet.  “Kind of a computer hacking genius,” she grinned.  “How do you think I found you when certain government agencies couldn’t?”

“That highly coveted skillset, I’d assume,” he smirked.  And when did that happen anyway?  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely smiled.  He wasn’t a fan.

“Yes.  So, you’re effectively working for the mo--”  Oliver gave her a stern look and Felicity froze, both of their eyes darting to Akio.  “Oh please, like he doesn’t already know.”

Oliver sighed; even if Akio did know who he worked for, Oliver sincerely hoped the boy didn’t realize exactly what all that entailed.  In fact, he naively hoped that Felicity didn’t know what that all entailed either.  Because doing what he had to do to survive was one thing, but anyone even remotely connected to his old life knowing about it-- well that was something else all together.  And Felicity wasn’t just connected, she was…

“He’s lucky to have someone like you,” he said, not letting the words catch up with his brain before he spoke them.  It wasn’t like the new Oliver, the cold and distant and calculated Oliver.  But at the same time, the words were meant to gauge her reaction to some extent.  Because Oliver still wasn’t sure how to completely trust this girl that fell into his lap less than a day ago with the answers to so many of his problems.  It seemed too good to be true.

"Who? Tommy? Oh he's not, I mean we're not like. It's not that. Not that he's not incredibly attractive and well kind and caring and a total catch. Plus if I dated a billionaire my mother would probably throw a parade. But we're not an item."  There was something in her expression that looked like guilt, or perhaps just that she didn’t quite believe the words she spoke.

Regardless, it was enough to help Oliver breathe a little freer and a little deeper.  “Even still,” Oliver said.  “I’m glad he didn’t try to do this all on his own.  Tommy’s resourceful, but he could have found himself in a lot of trouble in Hong Kong alone.”

“You mean like the way he blew the first meeting with Maseo?” Felicity laughed.  “He took one look at Tommy and did a cut and run, disappeared in the crowd.”

Oliver cringed.  He knew why Maseo had done that; because it hadn’t been that long before that they kidnapped Tommy and tried to make him believe they wanted a ransom.  Oliver had done it to save his best friend’s life, but would Tommy even forgive him for that?  Could he?

“He doesn’t blame you, you know,” Felicity said, as if she could read his mind.  “He just had to prove to himself that you were alive.  He did it because he loves you, because you’re a brother to him.  People don’t do things like that for just anyone.”

“I have to talk to Anatoly this morning,” Oliver said, instead of acknowledging what Felicity had told him.  It seemed easier that way.  “We need to start making arrangements for Hong Kong.”

Akio, who had been engrossed in a handheld video game Oliver had gotten him a few weeks earlier, looked up and gave Oliver a harsh look.  “Please, Oliver,” he pleaded.  “Anything but a boat.”

\---

Tommy wished he could have slept on the plane, even if only for an hour of so. But every time he closed his eyes he saw another version of the same nightmare. Either Oliver or Felicity before him, their life being ripped away in the most violent ways. And the further he moved away from Moscow the worse they got. 

“We should go over your cover story,” Diggle said, as the limo drove them closer and closer to Merlyn Global.

“The last thing I need is pointers on how to lie to my father,” Tommy replied as he focused back on Diggle. “I’ve been doing it since I was twelve.”

“Maybe so. But it’s not like you’re telling him you’re at the library when you’re really out with a girl. If he suspects anything--”

“He’ll be in danger,” Tommy cut him off with a glare. “I got it Digg.”

Tommy was glad when he didn’t push more. There was too much going on his his head to fight with Diggle too. Felicity was god knows where in Russia, dodging ARGUS, and without more than her laptop to keep her safe. And Oliver. They couldn’t even be sure he was in Moscow either. For all he knew Oliver was halfway around the world by now, and Felicity could be… No he couldn’t let the same thoughts that plagued his sleep to sear themselves into his mind during the day. Felicity would be fine, he trusted Lyla enough to know she’d do everything she could to keep his friend safe. And Oliver had survived three years out in the world going through the kind of things Tommy couldn’t bare to imagine. So he’d be okay a little while longer. He had to be. 

He wished he could convince himself that his search for Oliver was noble, that he’d done all these things to bring his friend home to his family. And it’s not like he didn’t think of Moira and Thea often when he thought of finding Oliver, but he knew it had nothing to do with them. It’s the most selfish desire Tommy had ever had. And he recalled wishing for it that very night all those months ago when he met Felicity. He needed Oliver back. He needed the ache that sat in his chest everyday to subside. Everyday they were separated Tommy felt less like the person he used to be. And in some ways he knew he’d changed for the better, but in others he felt like a stranger in the mirror.

When they made it into MG’s parking garage, Tommy could see his father waiting at the elevator, checking his watch. He rolled his eyes, wondering just how long Malcolm had held the pose, waiting to guilt Tommy the second he arrived. 

“A wise choice actually showing up to your job,” his father said when he got out of the car.

Diggle followed, looking very imposing, but Malcolm just smirked. “My IT specialist looks a little different than the last time I saw her?” 

“Dad this is John Diggle,” Tommy gestured clearing his throat. “Considering all the backlash Merlyn Global gets in Russia for not supporting the local color, I thought it was best to hire a personal bodyguard.”

Malcolm nodded handing Tommy a file as they all gathered in the lift. He tried to hide a groan as he looked over the reports. He really should have been doing a little more work related things on their trip, because he was highly unprepared for a shareholders meeting. 

“Where exactly is Miss Smoak? Did you leave the poor girl to fend for herself in Moscow?” 

Tommy held himself still, not wanting to wince at his father’s words. It’s not like Malcolm knew just how close to home he’d hit with his joke. 

“No she had a family emergency,” he replied looking up with a quick grin. “I told her to take as much time as she needed. Considering how much we value the importance of family at Merlyn Global.”

Malcolm sighed. “You might want to tone down the sarcasm before this meeting. It’s not as charming as you think it is.”

“Whatever you say,” Tommy mumbled, more than a little thankful when the elevator dinged for their floor. 

“Tell Miss Smoak to hurry back. You’re less surly with her around,” Malcolm tacked on before heading down the hall. 

“So,” Diggle said finally looking over to Tommy. “That’s your dad?”

“In all his glory,” he huffed, stuffing the file under his arm. 

“He seems like an ass.”

Tommy cracked a smile, probably the first one since he left Felicity with Lyla, and shook his head. “Thank you for that.”

“Nice cover back there,” Digg said and Tommy could hear a hint of pride in his voice. “You gave him just enough information without it being too much.”

“I told you I’ve been lying to the man for years.” 

“You know the best way to lie to someone is if you let yourself believe a bit of it too,” Diggle shrugged, like he barely believed his own words, but Tommy knew what he was doing.

“I’m not just pretending Felicity’s somewhere safe and sound. I’m not that naive.”

“Didn’t say you were,” he looked at Tommy again. “But sometimes believing in things without proof, can keep you going when you feel like giving in.” Digg smiled, as he looked around. “I’m gonna do a sweep of the building, maybe call Lyla while you’re in your meeting. I’ll let you know if she’s found anything.”

Tommy gave him a nod in response before he continued down the hall towards the conference room. His father had just left a group of associates when he arrived.

“Unfortunately I got my wires crossed and I won’t actually need you at this meeting,” Malcolm said pulling him off to the side, while he kept his voice low. 

“You’re unbelievable Dad. You dragged me here, under threat of disinheritance I might add. To what? Check up on me? Make sure I’m not dishonoring the Merlyn name?” Tommy shook his head, fighting back the headache that seemed to only grow the longer he was in Monte Carlo. “I mean why not put me on a leash or lock me in a kennel?”

“You are overreacting.” Malcolm smiled at someone, waving them into the conference room. “I simply think you would benefit from taking a private meeting for me instead of sitting in on this one.”

“Wait, you want me to take a solo meeting over a shareholders meeting?” Tommy looked around, convinced that he had to be hallucinating. It was the lack of sleep finally setting in.

“Unless you don’t think you’re fit to do so,” Malcolm countered like a challenge. 

Yeah that sounded more like his father. Just waiting to see if Tommy would rise to the occasion or fail. 

“No of course I can take a meeting for you,” he said rubbing a hand across the stubble that he’d let grow too much. If their weren’t so many people around, he suspected his father would tell him to go shave. ‘A businessman never looks disheveled Tommy’ Malcolm always said. “When is it?” 

“Now actually,” his father replied, pointing down another hall. “Last door on your left. She’s only been waiting a few minutes.”

Tommy nodded making a move to proceed, when his dad caught his arm, lowering his voice even more. “She comes from a very prestigious firm Tommy. And they’re interested in investing with us. That kind of backing for Merlyn Global will do us worlds of good in the future. Do not screw this up.”

Before he could even think of a retort, Malcolm pulled back, a smile on his face as he spoke. “Good luck son.”

He fought an eye roll as he returned his father’s smile. And then walked off towards the office. How could life have changed so much in so little time.

It wasn’t more than a week ago that he and Felicity were planning on leaving Paris, finally making real headway in their search for Oliver. And now? Now he felt like he was swimming into a riptide, and the harder he fought to keep his head above water, the more his lungs took in. 

“Could things get any worse?” he muttered as he opened the office door.

“Mr. Merlyn things can always get worse,” a voice replied. He scanned the room, not seeing anyone until the old leather chair swiveled back around, facing him. A woman sat before him with a devious smirk, while he black hair was pulled into a tight bun. 

She kept her eyes on him, like he was a steer up for auction, and she was in the market to purchase. 

“I take it you’re here from the prestigious firm that wants to invest in Merlyn Global,” Tommy gave her a wary look.

“You could say that,” she said with a shrug. “Sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Amanda Waller.”

\---

Bratva.  Oliver was in the Russian mob.  Felicity usually prided herself on not letting much surprise her, but learning that somehow over the last three years Oliver had joined up with the mob was still one of those things that she couldn’t quite fathom.  Frat boy Oliver who had graced the covers of local Starling City tabloids since he was sixteen years old.  Even though she hadn’t met him before yesterday, she’d done enough research on him to feel like she knew him.  But this was beyond her comprehension.

Sure, she’d expected something to that degree when she’d met Anatoly and Mikhail, but the more research she’d done earlier that morning, the more she realized whatever she’d just stepped into the middle of, it probably wasn’t a place she wanted to be.

Even still, this was Oliver Queen, Tommy’s best friend and the reason they’d crisscrossed the globe. No matter the things he was involved in now, she could still see the flicker in his eyes. The light that shone through whatever dark, terrible things he had to deal with. And she was curious what he held onto to keep that light burning, especially when anyone else would have let it die out long ago.

“So what’s up with the big guy at the door?” Felicity asked, taking a bite of the pancakes that she’d made, even if they were a bit cold.  Oliver gave her a curious look that he didn’t seem to want to expound on, so she prodded further.  “Big guy, pouty look, you two whispering like middle schoolers.”

Oliver’s face screwed into a frown.  “I asked him to do a sweep of the cafe to see if he could locate your missing PDA.”

“You still don’t believe me?” Felicity asked, feeling herself tense a bit.  After the phone call to Maseo?  And sleeping practically side by side all night?  No… it wasn’t that.  “You want to find Tommy before we leave,” she corrected.

“It only makes sense,” he countered.  “No point in leaving this continent before we make contact.”  Oliver stood, turning his back to her as he dumped the nearly untouched pancakes from his plate into the trash before putting the plate in the sink.  “Akio, five minutes.”

The young boy nodded, mid-bite, and then grinned wide at Felicity.  At least someone seemed to be happy about her being there.

Oliver disappeared into the bedroom, and Felicity stood and quickly followed him.  “If we can’t get a hold of Tommy in the next couple of days, what do you want to do?  I’m glad we-- I mean I-- found you, but we have to get Tommy.  And then we need to get back to Starling City.  I thought that maybe I was cut out for globetrotting, but it really doesn’t seem to agr---”

Felicity broke off mid-sentence when she looked around the room and he was nowhere to be found.  She frowned, but only until she caught sight of him in the mirror, shirt off and back to her as he pulled a new white button down shirt up over his shoulders.  A tattoo was on his shoulder and there were scars scattered across his back; Felicity’s mouth hung a little agape, especially when he turned and met her eyes.

Blinking repeatedly, Felicity could feel the blush heating her cheeks.  Another tattoo was on his chest, one she recognized instantly as the Bratva symbol branded onto his skin. Oliver didn’t say anything as he buttoned his shirt; he merely stood there, waiting for her to continue.

Finally, he prodded.  “Felicity.”

“Right, um, what was I saying?”

A tiny smirk ghosted across his face, or maybe she just imagined that it did.  “Globetrotting,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Yes.  I’d love to actually have a return flight planned, or some sort of itinerary.”  Although she wasn’t sure why.  There was no one back home waiting for her, no one who needed to know her plans.  She had very few friends in Starling, she reported directly to Tommy at Merlyn Global, and her mother probably still hadn’t read the email Felicity had sent her about the trip.

“I think that is better left for once we get in touch with Tommy,” Oliver stated, pulling a gun holster onto his shoulders before brushing past her back into the living room.

“Yes, you’re probably right,” Felicity said, following him as she packed up her computer and reached for her jacket.

“Where are you going?”  Oliver’s question brought her up short.

She turned back to look at him.  “I thought you said five minutes?”

Oliver pulled her computer bag off her shoulder and set it down on the sofa.  “You have to stay here.  I can’t let you any closer to… my work… than you already have been.”

“You’re going to leave me here?” Felicity gaped.  “Alone.  In your apartment.  When ARGUS is out there looking for me?”

“You’ll be safe here.  And you can spend some time tracking Tommy down with whatever genius software you used to find me.”

Felicity frowned.  She hated being left out of things, but what was more, she really didn’t want to be cooped up, yet again, waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Because it seemed like that was all she did lately.

“Technically, I’m not working today.  Akio has his lessons and I need to speak with my bosses.  I won’t be gone long.”

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief, but only until she saw the bow and quiver of arrows in the corner of the room.  She hadn’t noticed it the night before.  “Is that my protection if someone breaks in while you’re gone?” she asked, gesturing to the weapon.

“Don’t touch that,” Oliver growled before opening the door.  He and Akio left, the door closing and locking behind them.

Narrowing her eyes, Felicity marched over to the bow, held out a finger, and ceremoniously touched it.  When the spitefulness she felt turned to childishness, she turned back toward her computer that was packed up, sitting on the sofa, and plopped down beside it.

“You sure are a piece of work, aren’t you Felicity?” she said to herself, blowing out a breath.  “You go on a tour of the world with Tommy to find Oliver and as soon as you find him, what do you do?  You lose Tommy.”

She pulled out the computer, launching the program she’d spent days building to track down Oliver and changed the settings until it was filtering through all of Moscow looking for footage of Tommy Merlyn.

She hummed as she worked, and then was struck by an idea-- some silliness that seemed like it was years ago, instead of just days.  Her and Tommy at the cafe in Paris discussing spy movies.  She might not be able to call Tommy on the phone, but that didn’t mean she was incapable of contacting him at all.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! You're still here! or maybe Welcome back! Another week, another update. I just want to say thank you again to everyone who has this on alerts, who faithfully reads every new update weekly, and thank you also to those of you just finding this story, and reading multiple chapters in a sitting to catch up. We appreciate you all. Some of you have commented on the different threads weaving in and out and we just love that you're not only following along, but also finding some of the nuances and easter eggs we're leaving behind. It feels like such an interactive experience every week, and we love you all for it. Anyway, enough of my rambling... here comes the good stuff.
> 
> xoxo  
> Cassie

**Chapter 19**

 

Oliver wasn’t looking forward to the conversation he needed to have with Anatoly. He used to be able to trust the man, or at least as much as he’d ever let himself trust anyone. He remembered when they first met, locked in cells on Ivo’s freighter. Anatoly had lost all hope of ever going home, of ever wanting to go home too. But now?  Now he was strong and calculated, and led the Brotherhood with the kind of dedication Oliver assumed he’d adopted from Ivo.

He still thought he could get through to the man, but only if his brother wasn’t around. Where Anatoly was calculated, Mikhail was ruthless. Oliver often wondered which of the Knyanzev brother’s really ran the Bratva. Was it the calm, stern force of his makeshift comrade? Or did the true power sit with the one who always seemed on the verge of boiling over?

He was pulled from his thoughts, when he saw Anatoly approaching. A smile on his face. “Oliver, you have the day off yes?”

“Yeah, but I needed to speak with you,” Oliver said standing from the stairs. He pointed up stairs. “Also Akio had lessons today.”

“Ah yes, Ana enjoys having someone else to study with,” he motioned for Oliver to follow him into the study. “I fear sometimes my nieces do not have the most normal of upbringings.”

“They seem pretty well adjusted to me,” he said as Anatoly shut the door behind them. “But that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

“About the children’s lessons? Because if you believe Akio needs something else I suggest speaking directly with their tutor.”

“No Anatoly, Akio’s doing great with school,” Oliver paused, taking a deep breath. “It’s about getting him back to his family.”

“I still haven’t found a way for my people to contact them without ARGUS knowing,” Anatoly explained taking a seat. “I wish I had other news on that.”

“I found a way to contact them,” he spoke carefully. Just because he’d known Anatoly the longest, didn’t mean he trusted the man with all the information he had. “And with a little help from you, I could get Akio home to his family within the week.”

The man watched him carefully. He hated when he did that, hated being put under a microscope by someone, analyzed like some animal in a cage.

“Why did you not tell me sooner?”

“It’s a recent discovery.”

Anatoly arched a brow. “As recent as the girl who found you yesterday?”

“She’s not trouble. In fact she’s kind of in the same boat as me,” he huffed, buying time so he could think about his words. “She’s good at cyber related things, and it’s a skill ARGUS wants to exploit. They want to take her in. The fact that I was in the same spot as her yesterday was dumb luck.”

“And you believe this?”

He gritted his teeth, biting back a growl. “If I didn’t believe she was safe to have around, I would have taken care of it.” He added venom to the last word, giving Anatoly a pointed look. He didn’t need to clarify what he meant. Everyone in the Brotherhood was still talking about Oliver’s ‘initiation’. No one questioned how far he’d go in the name of the Bratva.

His boss sighed, shaking his head. “I mean well Oliver. You should be cautious of your attachments. She’s an asset now, but the second that changes, the second she becomes more trouble to you, to us, than she’s worth. You’ll need to deal with it.”

He nodded, but he already knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up the unspoken command. Felicity was connected to Tommy. And even if she denied a relationship with his friend he knew they had to be close. And he’d fight tooth and nail to keep Tommy from ever losing someone the same way he lost his mother. He still remembered that look on his friend’s face all those years ago, standing in the cemetery long before they were ready to deal with the death of a loved one. He made Tommy a promise that day, even if he’d never said it out loud. He vowed to do whatever he could to keep that look from his best friend’s face again.

“I’ll make the flight arrangements,” Anatoly said, pulling his attention away from memories of the past. “When you have more details come to me.”

Oliver didn’t know what to do now. He had expected a bit more fight on Anatoly’s part. Hell he had at least another five minutes of conflict build up in him. And now it kind of fizzled and faltered with him standing there. Should he just leave, did they have anything else to discuss?

He nodded, walking towards the door. Before he could reach the handle Anatoly cleared his throat.

_There it was._

He turned back, his arms cross his chest. “Yes?”

“I need you to work security at the club this week,” Anatoly said, barely looking up from his papers. “We’re still down two guards with Ivan still injured. And even though you have earned your higher place, you have plenty of dues to pay.”

“I can’t just leave Akio by himself,” Oliver countered, fighting a glare. “Sofia left this morning to visit her mother right?”

“Ivan makes a great babysitter, he can watch the boy.”

“What about--” he cut himself off. Because showing Anatoly any concern over Felicity wasn’t going to be good for either of them. “I can’t leave Ivan with Akio. The last person I trusted to have my back screwed me over. So excuse me if I don’t want to leave the single most important thing another has ever left me in charge of, with a guy who doesn’t even like me.”

“He doesn’t have to like you,” Anatoly challenged. “But he owes you. You saved his life, you saved Sofia’s life. Ivan is a man of honor. And he knows the price of betraying a brother. The boy will be safe.”

He didn’t want to leave the two of them with anyone, let alone Ivan. But Anatoly wasn’t giving him a choice. He was at the mercy of someone else, like always.

“Fine,” he replied through gritted teeth. “I’ll be there.”

\---

Tommy pulled his phone from his pocket, ready to call Diggle. But his screen read no signal. Of course the one time he left the damn thing on he couldn’t actually use it.

Waller held up a small device before setting it on his father’s desk, sliding it across the surface. “It’s a signal jammer Mr. Merlyn. I didn’t think we’d get through this meeting if I didn’t have some contingencies in place.”

“What the hell do you want?” Tommy kept his distance walking along the perimeter of the far wall. That only caused her to smile. Something about the action reminded him of those nature documentaries of predators playing with their prey. She couldn’t view him as anything more than a mouse in her way.

“To talk,” she stated with a shrug. “That’s all I have wanted to do since your friend popped up on my radar.”

“Which friend are you referring to here?” He asked, moving to take the seat opposite her. It wasn’t the smartest move, but he wanted to show her he wasn’t afraid, even if he felt terrified. “The one you shot at or the one you’re pissed at because he bested you?”

“Whatever Maseo Yamashiro told you about my dealings with Oliver Queen, you have to take into account the poor man’s distraught state,” Waller said shaking her head. “It’s a shame his family was torn apart. But he’s blinded by misplaced loyalty.”

“I don’t really care,” he let his hands fold in front of him, summoning every intimidation tactic his father had drilled into his head. Not that he thought he could intimidate her, but they kind of boosted his confidence. “What I do care about is the fact that my best friend has been thought to be dead for three years. And you were a large part in helping with that.”

“On the contrary, I saved Oliver,” she said with a smile. “Your friend would have been a rotting corpse on the bottom of the sea if it hadn’t been for me and my organization. And all I have ever wanted in return, is for him to excel at the things he has the most potential in.”

“Whatever line of crap you think you’re selling to me, you should stop while you’re behind,” he returned her smile. “You can paint it any shade you want. But you sent us on a wild goose chase to Paris, and you had people shoot at us. Repeatedly.”

“It was twice Mr. Merlyn, no need to be over dramatic,” she pursed her lips like she was considering something. “And I cannot apologize for Paris. I was testing Miss Smoak’s skills. She’s rather good at what she does.”

“Yeah, she is,” Tommy countered, and because he knew it would get to her he added. “Better than you.”

Waller’s face contorted with a look seeped in vemon. “Why don’t we stop playing games neither of us really has time for and you can tell me where Felicity Smoak is?”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I do that.”

“You think you’re being the white knight in keeping the information from me?” She pushed the chair back from the desk, her hands braced on it’s frame. He wished the distance eased his mind, but she just looked more ready to attack. “What you’re really doing is prolonging my search and wasting my time. And I don’t have much patience for people who do either of those things. Now Agent Michaels lost track of Miss Smoak when her bumbling husband got himself involved. Still not entirely sure how Mr. Diggle managed that one. So unless you cooperate with me I’m going to get very upset. Do I strike you as the type of person who handles upset well?”

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know,” he replied with all honesty. It killed him not knowing, but there was no use in lying to Waller and pretending he did. “So if that’s all you needed from me, you can see yourself out.”

After a second she smirked. “I must say, I underestimated you. See I assumed you were just the money funding Miss Smoak’s impressive moves. But now I see that your role is much stronger than that.”

He eyed her closely, feeling the tension settle in his shoulders. “I’m not sure I should take this as a compliment. But I’ll bite. What’s my role?”

She leaned across the desk, like a tiger about to pounce. “I thought you were just an inconvenience. Someone who watched too many movies and decided to play the hero for a friend in need. But you’re more than that aren’t you?” She looked him up and down, with a nod of approval. “You may have just become the greatest asset I wasn’t even looking for.”

“Not really interested in a career change. Thanks anyway.” But he shifted in his seat under her gaze.

“But you haven’t even heard my offer,” she leaned back settling in the chair, folding her hands in her lap. “A good businessman listens to an offer before rejecting it. I’m sure you’re father taught you that. And if he didn’t your mother should have at least taught you manners before she passed.”

Tommy took a deep breath before responding. "Well, as stimulating and enjoyable as this conversation has been... I think it's about time for me to be anywhere else.” He stood from his seat, making his way towards the door. “I suggest you show yourself out immediately before that 'bumbling husband' of your agent's shows up in here and puts two bullets in your chest."

“Mr. Merlyn--”

“In case you missed key elements in your training, that’s what we call a brush off,” he glared at her as he yanked the door open. “Let me make this perfectly clear, whatever ‘offer’ you have, the answer is no, and it’s going to continue to be no. I’m not someone you can buy and then use to get Oliver and Felicity to see the light of your side. So do yourself a favor and leave now.”

Much to his surprise, Amanda Waller stood from her seat and walked toward the door. She stopped before him, with a look he couldn’t quite place.

“You’re going to wish you had heard me out,” she said taking a deep breath. “The world is a vicious and ever changing place, Tommy. And people who try to stay good and true to their beliefs are usually the first to get chewed up and spat back out.” She pulled a business card from her sleeve, tucking in in his suit pocket. “When you come to that realization, call me. I can give you a chance to be more than just the Merlyn name. All you have to do is accept that the world works in many shades of grey.”

She walked off, leaving Tommy with a feeling like he’d just walked to the edges of hell and chatted with the Devil. The feeling sat on him in a thick, lurching way. He wasn’t sure what to make of Amanda Waller, but he knew one thing for sure: he had to do everything in his power to keep his friends from her grasp.

\---

Felicity had discovered something while Oliver left her alone. She really hated Russia. Maybe hate was a strong word. But so far she wasn’t having quite the same reaction to the country as she had with Hong Kong and Paris. Maybe it was her unlucky place.

When she’d been about five or six she’d begged her mother to take her to Disneyland. She’d done the math in her little Hello Kitty notebook, and figured if she helped her mom save and scrimp for the next three years, they could go for her ninth birthday. But Donna had told her as much as she wanted to please Felicity, they couldn’t go to Disneyland, maybe Disney World, but not the former. When Felicity asked her mom why, Donna simply sighed, cupping the girl’s cheek.

“It’s my unlucky place, love,” she said, kissing Felicity’s forehead. “You won’t understand the why, but it’s best if I stay far from that place.”

And she hadn’t understood, not really, until one day when she was fifteen and she’d found an old worn picture of her parents right outside the gates of the park. She didn’t ask Donna about it, hating anytime she reminded her mom of the man that abandoned them. But she did wonder how many places her father had tainted with his memories. Still she never really believed that luck factored into making a place bad. That was until she’d spent a whole day in Moscow.

Now she was sure her mother was on to something. It had taken her twice as long to rig up a secure signal bounce, trying to fly even further under the radar than she was use to. And then of course she had to battle the hell that was the spotty connection of the local internet. Like really how did people live like this? She felt like she’d been shot back ten years and had to deal with the horrors of dial up, which could possibly be faster than the connection she currently had going.

So it took her about three hours just to track down Tommy, a terrible unfortunate thing, because Tommy wasn’t even in Russia anymore. She’d tracked the flight manifest of the Merlyn private jet, which touched down in Monte Carlo a few hours ago. Practically a world away. She wanted to call him. A desperate itch set into her hand when she found herself reaching for a phone. But she couldn’t.

For one she didn’t have a phone. Just the satellite phone that linked them to Maeso and she wouldn’t compromise that line, she couldn’t. Not after all the work Oliver had put in protecting Akio for his friends. Plus it’s not like she even had Tommy’s number memorized. Stupid modern times.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of keys in the door. On instinct she jumped from her seat, grabbing from the closest thing to a weapon she could find.  Of course she had to be clear across the room from the actual weapon in the place, but she made do with the lamp on the table near the door.  The cord stuck but with a swift jerk, it freed from the wall and Felicity turned her attention back to the door, which was opening.

With the lamp over her head, ready to strike, Felicity braced herself for whoever was coming in as the door swung inward and a large shape darkened the doorway.

Oliver.

Felicity let out a sigh of relief, not quite sure what she would have done with the lamp had it been someone else, but grateful that it wasn’t.

Oliver raised a brow as he came in and closed the door behind him, giving her a look she couldn’t really discern. He was either annoyed or fighting a smirk. Honestly it might be his only two facial expressions.

“I see your choice of weapons has at least grown in effectiveness in the last 24 hours,” he said dropping the keys to the bowl beside the door.  “Although your follow through is sorely lacking.”

Felicity avoided his gaze, feeling foolish.  She needed to work on her preparedness in such situations, all of her dealings with ARGUS so far should have told her that.  “I should… just... put this down,” she said.

“That would be my preference,” he countered, and Felicity placed it back on the table.

“Sorry, jumpy still.” She bit her lip as she reclaimed her seat on the couch. “So I was thinking about how to contact Tommy.”

It seemed strange, even still, seeing Oliver in the flesh.  She’d spent months staring at photos of him in various stages of his life and various computer generated mock-ups of how he could look with extra or less weight, more or less facial hair, scars, different hair colors.  But here he was, standing in front of her, looking more or less the same as the billionaire playboy who had graced the covers of a thousand tabloids by the time he was twenty-one.  But there was something about him that was different.  All those tabloids made him look half-drunk, confident and relaxed.  The Oliver standing in front of her was none of those things.  This Oliver was probably more sober than he’d ever been in Starling, and she didn’t just mean his alcohol intake.  He was somber but tense, even as he took a seat beside her on the sofa, nothing about him looked relaxed.

Felicity couldn’t help but wonder when the last time was that he’d been relaxed.  On the Gambit perhaps?  She couldn’t imagine more than two years of constantly being on edge and alert.  She had been doing it for just a couple of weeks and it was the worst thing she’d ever experienced.

“Felicity?” Oliver said, looking at her expectantly.

“Hmm?” she hummed, her eyes focusing on him again.

“You said you have a way to contact Tommy?” he prompted.

Felicity nodded.  “Yes, I did say that.”  She paused, still not sure she wanted to tell Oliver her plan.  It seemed silly and childish now that she thought about it.  And who knew if Tommy even remembered the plan they made that day in Paris.  “It’s kind of low tech.  Well no tech really.  Tommy and I had this whole discussion one day about how anything online can be tracked and--” she broke off mid sentence when she saw the determined, but confused and slightly annoyed look on Oliver’s face.  It was a wonder he could convey so much in a single look, but she was positive that’s what it was saying.  “A personal ad.”

At that, his face turned more annoyed and confused than anything else.  “I don’t really think now is the time to be looking for a date,” he chided.

“It’s not for a date,” she answered, narrowing her eyes.  She turned to face him fully before speaking again.  “When Tommy and I were in Paris we talked about low tech, low key ways to communicate, like they did in the old Bond movies.  We picked a Paris newspaper, we picked a turn of phrase to use.  It’s the perfect way to communicate with him.”

Oliver looked less than convinced.  “I honestly don’t know how you two made it out of Starling City,” he said, dropping his head into his hands and rubbing his temples.

“Listen, Mister.  I understand that you’ve been doing this longer, but at least I’m not dumb enough to swipe my access code in my parents building two years after I was presumed dead.”  Felicity hadn’t planned on starting an argument with Oliver, but he seemed dead set on not letting her do anything.

Oliver’s eyes narrowed briefly and then his head tilted sideways just the slightest as he gave her a half-laugh, half-sigh.  “You were there,” he said, a little breathy.

Felicity wasn’t sure what that really had to do with anything.  After all, she had already told him that she had tracked his movements at the building.  But she obliged him anyway.  “It was the night I met Tommy,” she answered.  “I understand if this plan isn’t how you normally do things, but Tommy and I have gotten this far just the two of us… mostly.  Besides, if you don’t have any other better ideas, I say we try it.”

“You were in my mother’s office that night,” he said, clarifying a little more.  “You...” he paused.  “You thought I was cute.”

Felicity scoffed, grabbing her computer and pulling it back onto her knees.  The instant he said it, the memory came flooding back.  It had been her first trip up to Moira’s office that night; she’d seen a photo of Oliver and Robert on the desk, and yes, she’d called him cute.  But how would he know that?  Unless he had been there too.

“I am taking that as a go-ahead with the contact Tommy plan,” she said, hitting a few buttons and submitting the personal ad she’d crafted while Oliver was gone.  She didn’t have time to think about how Oliver had been in the office at the same time as her that night how many months ago.  Or how it would have changed everything if he’d just made a noise or something, laughed at her stupid comment about it being a shame he was dead.  Especially because Oliver was very much not dead.

“If your plan works it will be a miracle,” Oliver said, standing from the sofa and crossing to the small kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

“ _When_ my plan works, you can bet your sweet Russian vodka I’ll be there to tell you ‘I told you so,’” Felicity countered.

“Speaking of Russian vodka,” Oliver said, ignoring her dig at him and uncapping the water.  He took a long swig.  “Anatoly is making arrangements to get us to a meet with the Yamashiro’s, but until then he’s got me posted working nights at this club a couple streets over.  Ivan will be here with you and Akio while I’m out.”

“The brick wall of a guy who couldn’t find my PDA this morning?” Felicity asked, frowning a little.  She knew it had been a bad idea to get rid of it, but the adrenaline of the moment had kept her from thinking straight.

“Your memories of him are fonder than Akio’s, I promise you that.”

Her frown deepened, because in all of her wonderings about Oliver over the last few months, she hadn’t considered what all of this had done to Akio.  Granted, until last week she didn’t know that Akio and Oliver were together, but the poor kid had been through so much, it was a miracle he seemed as well adjusted as she’d found him that morning.  Akio seemed bright and bubbly, and that was before the news about being reunited with his parents.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Felicity said, beginning to feel the closeness of the room.  Maybe not the closeness so much as the emptiness.  She didn’t really know Oliver, not this Oliver anyway.  They were trusting each other out of need, but knowing what she did about how he’d treated Tommy the last time they’d been in the same room… what was he capable of doing to her?

“It’s not safe for you out there,” was Oliver’s only reply.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear,  
> How are we doing this Monday? A little tired, a little drained? Well here's a bright spot for everyone's day.  
> Enjoy,  
> Kayla

Oliver was trying to keep his cool. Really he was. But the small apartment was not cohesive for three people. Especially after Felicity acquired stuff. When Sofia had returned to town she graciously shared her closet with the blonde. They weren’t exactly the same size, but they were close enough for it to work. Except now there were things everywhere; and girl things at that.  Oliver couldn’t walk in the living room without stepping on something-- shirts, pants, skirts, hell the other day he sat on a pair of her underwear. If this was what living with a woman was like, maybe it was a good thing he’d been such a commitment phobe before. 

Akio wasn’t faring any better with what the kid affectionately called the ‘Felicity explosion’. The name wasn’t that far off from what the place looked like. He’d looked at the stuff with confusion, but nothing compared to breakfast the previous morning when he walked up to Oliver with one of Felicity’s bras on the end of a pencil. 

_ “What do girls use this for?” _ Akio asked looking at it like it was a science experiment.

Oliver grabbed for the item quickly, tossing the garment across the room.  _ “Why don’t you save that question for when you see your dad next week, huh?” _

Yeah he was not doing very well with the pseudo parent thing.

He was trying to get ready for work, to have five minutes to himself before being bombarded by music and people, but he could feel Felicity’s eyes on his back while he slipped the tee shirt over his head.

He turned enough to look at her expectantly. “Yes?”

“I’m bored,” she stated as she leaned against the door frame. 

“And this is my problem because?” He really didn’t want to have the conversation he knew Felicity was gearing up for. 

She rolled her eyes with a deep sigh. “I can’t stay in this tiny apartment any longer. Inmates see more of the sky than I have in the last five days.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not true,” he countered, moving to grab his gun from the top of the dresser. “And even if it was, that doesn’t change the fact that you going outside could be dangerous.”

“I think I’m more in danger of beating my head against the bathroom wall and knocking myself out.”

“Well, make sure you put some pillows down first,” he smirked as he walked past her. “Wouldn’t want to hurt yourself when you hit the ground.”

“Why can’t I just come to the club with you?” she continued, ignoring his comment. “Akio’s at Ana’s sleeping over and I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Okay, yeah and then after my boss catches you there, exactly what do you expect me to do?”

“Who says I get caught?”

“Your proclivity to absolutely terrible situations,” he looked over, checking the time. He really couldn’t afford to be late. “I don’t have time to argue with you about this.”

“So just give in,” she said, a pout growing on her face. He hated that look. She used it too much, and then she taught it to Akio. Seriously this woman was trying to drive him crazy.

“Felicity,” his voice was bordering on loud, but he needed her to listen to him. “I can’t take you there. If Anatoly finds out that I did… Well let’s just say everything we both have worked for will go up in smoke. So stop fighting me on this, and just stay here.”

She pursed her lips into a thin line, but at least she wasn’t arguing with him any longer. She turned, dropping herself to the couch, and flicked the TV on.

“I’ll see you later,” he muttered, grabbing his keys. 

It took Oliver no time to get to the club, the maze of city streets like second nature to him now.  And he was surprised that the club was busier than usual with throngs of sweaty people pressed shoulder to shoulder as they tried to sway to the music. The smell of sweet liquor mixed with the haze of the room, just enough to make Oliver reminisce of other clubs, in other cities. Back when he was a different person. 

Some of the other guards were standing around him with their eyes watching the floor below. They were all supposed to be on alert because of the deal going down, one they’d spent two days preparing for. Anatoly had given them strict instructions to be on watch for some dirty cop that the Bratva had on the payroll.  The plan was to make sure he handed over the folder and got his payment, without involvement from outsiders.

Usually the club was a safe zone, the Knyanzev’s prefered to do their business at the restaurant or even the family estate. But lately the information their informant was giving them was leaking to a couple of gangs in the area. So Anatoly insisted on a change of venue. He said he wanted his best watching things. And Oliver didn’t need the man to spell out what he meant. 

If they found out who was slipping the rivals the intel, they had to take them out. That’s why he couldn’t bring Felicity here. He couldn’t let her see this part of his life, couldn’t let her get mixed up in it any further. Sure, she knew who he worked for, but she didn’t get it, not really. She didn’t know the amount of life the Bratva had already stolen from him. And he didn’t want her to.

She might have been infuriating, but in just the few short days since he’d saved in her the cafe he’d found that she was also kind and light and everything Oliver had lost in himself when the Gambit went down. She reminded him so much of home that it hurt to look her in the eyes most days. And then she’d start talking, and he’d lose all sense of concentration. Really the woman could give Speedy a run for her money on the amount of words said in a minute. 

Oliver shook off the memories of home, focusing back on the job at hand. He hoped this would be an easy night. The smoother the deal went, the sooner he could get out of there. 

“What about you Oliver?” He turned at the sound of his name, to where Ivan and another guard, Lev, were talking. 

Ivan looked like he needed to sit down; he was pushing his recovery too quick. Although given their life inside the organization, Oliver understood. He’d never been one who could lie down and nurse an injury either, but he also didn’t think that was the only reason the enforcer was trying to get back into things. Oliver worried more for Sofia than he did for Ivan. Sofia was a good person, and she didn’t deserve something happening to the love of her life just because he was a stubborn idiot. 

“Hmm?” Oliver replied. He hadn’t a clue what the men had been talking about. He assumed a girl, considering the Lev’s gaze was transfixed on the dance floor, while Ivan actually seemed to be paying attention to their assignment. 

“The girls,” Lev pressed on, nudging his shoulder. Oliver fixed him with a hard glare, and the man backed off a little. “Come on, Ivan won’t play.”

“Because I’m actually trying to not get us killed,” Ivan countered. He shifted to move, and Oliver noticed how he was favoring his side. “I’m getting a better vantage point.”

Lev waited until Ivan was out of earshot before he continued. “Ever since he took up with Sofia he’s been less fun. Mark my words, I shall never settle.”

“I’m sure the whole female population of Russia is breathing a little easier,” Oliver quipped.

“And Ivan says you are not funny,” Lev smirked. “Now to play the game you must watch the girls dance. Whichever one keeps drawing your eyes back to her, you must buy her a drink.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the man. He didn’t have the patience for games and antics. His head was pounding. But somehow he found his eyes scanning the dance floor. Not to play Lev’s dumb game; Oliver had no desire to liquor up one of these club girls. And he almost laughed at the irony, because pre-island Oliver would have loved the game, hell he would have thrived at it.

Oliver just wanted something to do other than watching a corrupt cop, who was probably turning around and selling the information to the rivals himself. So he watched the young people below him, mixing together with the pulse of the bass and the club scene smoke. That’s when a flash of blonde caught his attention. He had to be imagining it. Because there was no way in hell he’d seen who he thought he had.

But then she turned, and he was staring right at her. Her hair cascading down her shoulder in a braid, as a short black dress clung to her sides. She may not be the enemy, but he was certain Felicity Smoak was trying to kill him.

\---

Tommy had been in Monte Carlo for a week.  It was a week of sleepless nights, a week of constantly checking his phone and badgering Diggle for any news from Lyla.  It was a week of almost complete radio silence. 

It was the longest week of his life.

His father hadn’t been much help in keeping Tommy’s mind off of things, either.  The inane meetings he had sat in on the last few days had been the closest Tommy had come to sleep since he’d left Moscow.  Malcolm had given Tommy the afternoon off and he and Diggle had ended up at the Monaco Grand Prix race track.  The roar of engines as drivers practiced kept the thoughts at bay and kept his ability to ask Diggle if he’d heard from Lyla to a minimum.  

“She combed the city three times over,” Diggle replied taking a long drink of his beer. “If Felicity’s still in Moscow, she’s hiding well. Which seems impossible Tommy.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, his head shaking slightly. He knew what John was getting at. The man suggested it almost everyday since they arrived in the city, that maybe ARGUS had gotten to Felicity before Lyla was able to double back. But Tommy knew something Diggle didn’t. Something Tommy was wrestling with whether or not to tell him. Waller was still looking for Felicity. If she came all the way to Monte Carlo, that meant she was floundering in her own search and scraping at whatever leads she could think of. Felicity was smarter though. If anyone would be able to find a way to hide it would be her.

“I have learned time and time again not to underestimate that woman,” Tommy said, watching as the cars raced around. “She’ll be fine.”

“What about you?” Digg raised a brow, eyeing him closely. “You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“Well then I’m living up to my potential.” He smirked, and Digg rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about me.”

“When Lyla called me in to help, I made a promise me to keep you alive. I’m not a fan of breaking those.”

Tommy looked over to the man, the only thing close to resembling a friend at that moment, and tried to see things from his side. Diggle had so much integrity, more than anyone Tommy had ever met.

“You’re a good man,” he said, as he fought back a yawn. 

John let out a soft chuckle as he finished his drink. “You say that like you’re surprised.”

“No, just pondering about how the world works; how many shades of gray exist.” Tommy thought back to the words Waller used, but they sat heavy on his tongue like they didn’t belong. 

“It’s been my experience that when you start to question that, you start to question everything you believe in. Tommy the world has always been a messed up place. It storms when you think there should be sun, and you find a light in the darkest moments life throws at you. But that doesn’t mean everyone has to bend to stay afloat.” he paused taking a deep breath. “The way I see it, there’s the ones who walk into the fire for what they think is right, even if it burns them. But then there’s the person on the outside, ready to pull the first one out again.”

“So I’m the idiot on the sidelines while my friends get burned.”

“I’m saying I’m the idiot that pulls Lyla back out of the flames,” John smirked as he leaned back in his seat. “It’s up to you who you get to be in the scenario. I’m just saying, it’s not so bad being the one who pulls their loved ones back.”

Tommy wasn’t sure he liked that idea, especially when it was Felicity in the flames and he’d made a vow to keep her safe.  But it wasn’t like he had much of a choice in the matter anymore; he just wished he had a way to contact her.  He assumed she still had the satellite phone they’d gotten to contact Maseo, but Tommy had never gotten the number for it.  He just never in a million years thought things would get this bad, that they would be separated for any length of time.  It had kept him up at night, eating away at his sanity.  Because if Felicity was alive and safe and out there somewhere, why hadn’t she contacted him?

A distant memory tickled at the back of his mind, something that was forever ago and somehow just like yesterday-- or maybe more like two weeks ago.  A slow grin spread across Tommy’s face as he hummed the chorus of the tune.  Smoke on the Water-- their distress signal for each other in the event that they’d gotten separated-- Felicity’s low-tech backup plan to contact each other.

“Hey Digg, you got that tablet in the car?” Tommy asked, already on his feet jogging toward where the car was parked.

Diggle was on his heels in an instant, catching up and taking long strides to stay beside Tommy.  “You get some telepathic message or something?” Diggle asked, confused.

Tommy grinned, shaking his head.  “No, just a memory.  And god, I hope I’m right.”

Once they reached the car, Diggle grabbed the device and handed it to him. Tommy could sense the man’s eyes on him. “I thought you two agreed no tech to contact each other. ARGUS is most likely watching emails, bank accounts, web forums.”

Tommy typed in the web address as he flicked his gaze up to Digg. “We did. But Felicity came up with a plan, a just in case. And if I’m right,” he paused, clicking into the link for the personal ads. He closed his eyes, sending up a silent prayer. As the screen loaded he saw it, just in the corner. Sandwiched between two ads that sounded much more out of place than hers. He read it over twice. ‘ _ Couple seeks bandmate for trio.  Repertoire to include Smoke on the Water and Queen’ _ . Even if they’d just planned on their own code phrase, he could decipher what the rest meant. Felicity was safe, and she was with Oliver. He let out a content sigh. 

“Good news?”

Tommy handed him the tablet, pointing to the spot he’d just read. “Told you, never underestimate Felicity Smoak.”

\---

Felicity knew where the club was; her curiosity the first day Oliver mentioned it had made quick work of that.  Among the items borrowed from Sofia was the perfect, too-snug, little black dress, that Felicity pulled on the moment Oliver was out the door.  Being cooped up for so long was making her beyond antsy and now that her sprain had mostly healed, she would do anything to get out of that tiny apartment.

She expected Oliver to tell her that she couldn’t go to the club, but she also wasn’t ready to let that stop her.  So she headed for the bathroom, adding some bold eyeshadow and another application of mascara before pulling her hair into a quick braid.  Within just a few minutes she was out the door.  Since she hadn’t exactly been out of the apartment since Oliver had brought her there that first night, it took a moment to get her bearings once she was outside.

The walk to the club only took a few minutes and the bouncer outside let her in without a second glance.  Felicity quickly shrugged out of her jacket, sticking it in a pile with a dozen others, before heading straight for the dance floor.  Tonight wasn’t about alcohol or finding a dance partner, it was about letting loose and shutting her mind down for just a little while.

She hadn’t come out only because Oliver told her not to, although she would be lying if she said it didn’t factor in at all.  She followed him to the club because she needed freedom, an escape.  And just the tiniest smidge because Oliver had given her explicit instructions to stay away.

The bass drowned her thoughts until all Felicity could see and hear, smell and taste, feel and think was the thumping  _ boom, boom, boom _ of the electronica track layered over some Russian pop song.  It melded with her breath and bones until she was one with the music as her hips swayed and her shoulders shimmied.  It made her forget Tommy and how she hadn’t heard from him yet.  It pushed thoughts from her mind of dark shadows that followed her and of families torn apart and of the constant state of peril she had been living in for weeks.

The music was mind-numbing; and that was exactly what she needed.

Felicity had been keeping an eye out for Oliver, just in case, but so far she hadn’t caught sight of him.  She wondered idly if he was out back, breaking someone’s arm or something, and immediately regretted it.  Even knowing who Oliver worked for-- it didn’t make it right to assume anything about his job.

Instead she continued her mindless dancing, spinning and twirling and enjoying the freedom, even if it came along with the smell of cheap booze and cigarettes.  It was good, and just what she needed to keep her mind off things, but she figured that perhaps a drink from the bar wouldn’t hurt.  When in Rome after all… even if in this instance it was Moscow.

She turned on the dancefloor and froze when her entire vision was filled with a very angry, non Russian with his arms crossed over his chest and his feet planted firmly in place.

“Ol--Oliver,” she stammered, even if he couldn’t hear her over the music.

Rather than reply, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward a hallway that was less populated and further from the speakers spewing the thumping music.  His grip was firm and unrelenting enough that she had to quicken her pace to keep up with him for fear of being dragged.  She thought that he would stop in the hallway, but he didn’t.  He blew through the door at the end of the hallway, one that she had a sneaking suspicion said ‘Emergency Exit Only’ in Russian.  The door closed securely behind them and only then did Oliver stop, turn to face her, and give her his best intimidating glare.

“How dare you,” he growled.

Felicity pulled her wrist from his grasp, cradling it in her other hand.  Her jaw clenched, biting back tears that threatened to spill over from anger and embarrassment.

“I told you not to come here.  Do you have any idea what could have--”  his voice, hard and insistent, seemed to change as he took in the fact that she was bleary eyed and that her teeth were chattering.  “What could have happened to you in there?” he said, quieter this time and with less anger.

“I was just dancing,” Felicity said, more pouty and child-like than she’d meant to sound.  “I didn’t see anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“It isn’t,” he said quickly.  And there was something earnest about his eyes and tone that made Felicity believe him, even if he didn’t explain any further.  Instead, he took a step closer, cupping her reddened wrist in his hand, the pad of his thumb tracing the marks he’d left there.

Felicity’s eyes narrowed and she pulled her hand away.  “If you think--”

The back door swung open and a man poked his head out.  Oliver’s head whipped around and he pushed her behind himself when the man addressed him.  The newcomer spoke in clipped sentences to Oliver.  Felicity assumed it was some sort of shorthand or code, because the man most likely didn’t know that she didn’t speak any Russian.

Oliver nodded in acknowledgement and Felicity peaked her head out around, getting another look at the guy.

“You said you didn’t want to play my game,” the man said with a devilish grin.

Oliver cleared his throat and glanced back at Felicity.  “I changed my mind,” he said, running a hand down the length of her arm.

Felicity shivered at the touch; she wasn’t sure what game they were discussing, but she was positive that she didn’t want to play.  She almost pulled away, but something in the pit of her stomach told her that she should trust Oliver.  Surely, he wouldn’t be acting this way without good reason.

The man grinned wider, speaking a word in Russian that Felicity didn’t understand, but she was nearly certain it was derogatory slang.  And if the way Oliver tensed beside her had anything to say about it, she could only imagine he’d just been asked how much he was paying for her company, or something equally as disgusting.

“Can you cover for me?” Oliver asked, gesturing inside and snaking an arm around her.  He leaned down close to her ear.  “Things are happening here that you don’t understand,” he whispered quietly, just for her to hear.  “Walk with me around back and as soon as we are out of sight I need you to get back to the apartment as quickly as possible.  Giggle like I said something funny if you understand.”

Felicity did as she was told, laughing at a non-existent joke and running a finger down the side of Oliver’s face.

“ Pyat' minut,” the man said, his eyes giving Felicity a thorough once over.  “If you need it.”  He laughed at his own joke and then popped his head back inside, closing the door behind him.

“What’s going on?” Felicity hissed, her voice low, as soon as they were alone.

“Something big, but I wasn’t joking about you not being here.  It’s dangerous Felicity.”  

Oliver led her around the side of the building, his arm draped over her shoulder.  Oliver seemed acutely aware of something, and with a quick flick of her eyes up to the corner of the building she noticed a security camera on constant rotation of the perimeter.  “There’s a gap in the fence at the end of the alley.  It comes out across the street from the apartment.”

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s happening here,” Felicity said, pulling out from under his arm to turn and face him.  “I get that you’re involved in dangerous stuff, but what does it matter if I’m on the dance floor?  You could have just as easily ignored me and not drawn attention to me being there.  No harm, no foul.”

Oliver’s eyes hardened again and he was quiet for a long moment.  “This actually isn’t about you,” he said harshly.  “And it’s not the stuff that’s dangerous tonight, it’s the place.  Okay?”

Felicity’s brow furrowed as she worked through what he had just told her.  Apparently whatever was going down, it was happening at the club.  So much for her mindless dance party.  With a frustrated rolling of her eyes, Felicity nodded.  She was sure whatever was planned, she didn’t want to be in the middle of it and draw more attention to herself anyway.

“Fine, I’ll leave,” she huffed.  “But if it was so dangerous, maybe you should have said so in the first place.”

Oliver let out a frustrated groan and not-so-subtly pushed her toward the gap in the fence.  “Women,” he growled under his breath.

“I heard that,” she called over her shoulder.  


“You were meant to,” he called back.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last week may have been a little slow, but we're setting up some big things, I promise you. It's a little hard sometimes to juggle 3 story lines and make them all flow at the same pace, so if things seem to hit a little lull somewhere, it's because we're gearing up for something big. We hope you enjoy what's in store this week, and as always, thank you so much for the love. We appreciate it more than words can say. xoxo Cassie

The apartment had been quiet the last couple of days. And Oliver would never admit it out loud, but he hated it. He hated that Felicity didn’t look at him anymore. That she would mumble a response to a question, instead of her usual run on sentences. She’d smile at Akio and discuss his day with him, but there was no more than six consecutive words from her mouth in over 48 hours. Oliver was starting to worry that he broke her.

He was too stubborn to apologize, even if he regretted being rough with her. She didn’t deserve that. But he’d been trying to protect her, regardless of the outcome; he needed to keep her safe.

_For Tommy._

He reminded himself of it again and again as he and Akio walked back towards the apartment door. He didn’t know much about Felicity’s relationship with Tommy, or really anything other than the very basics that she had spilled, but Oliver knew his friend. And Tommy wasn’t someone who let people in easily. If he trusted Felicity, it was because he cared.

The second he stepped through the door with Akio, Oliver could smell something was off. He cocked his head towards the kitchen, still trying to make sense of what was happening. Felicity stood there, batter splotched up her arms, and flour across her forehead. She looked up at them, dropping the tray in her hands to the stove.

“I was just,” she huffed biting the corner of lip, rubbing her hands across her jeans. “I was baking.”

The corner of his mouth ticked up, but not enough for her to notice. “Akio, why don’t you go get washed up?”

“And then we can have pizza for dinner?” Akio asked, smiling up at him.

Oliver rolled his eyes, as he playfully shoved him towards the bathroom. “Maybe.”

He waited until Akio was out of the room before turning his gaze back to Felicity. She wasn’t looking at him, her attention on the darkened lumps sitting on the cookie sheet. Also when the hell did he get a cookie sheet?

He moved to the edge of the counter, his fingers tapping against its edge. He was nervous, how the hell was he nervous? He’d faced down Slade Wilson crazed on Mirakuru while a freighter was sinking into the ocean, but this tiny blonde girl left him speechless.  Or maybe just afraid to speak, to say the wrong thing, to show her how much of a fraud this facade really was.  Maybe he was unable to let her see the broken, hollow ghost of a man he really was.

Oliver opened his mouth to say something, anything, but Felicity turned around, catching him by surprise.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pursing her lips into a thin line. “For the club thing I mean. You told me not to go, and I went anyway.”

He pressed the heels of his hands into the counter. “Look I get that this isn’t the greatest set up. And the place is cramped and depressing, but--”

“That’s not why I went,” she cut him off. “I mean I grew up with a single mom, dingy apartments don’t bug me. In fact the close quarters kind of remind me of home. Okay well without the flash that comes with my mother.”

“Well you don’t exactly strike me as the clubbing type so…”

Felicity sighed, as she wrung her hands together. “You know what I was doing when I met Tommy? I was literally in the middle of complaining about having to work late when I was supposed to be at some party. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, and helping Tommy find you gave me a sense of purpose.”

“But?”

“I’m 20 years old,” she shrugged. “And for a couple of hours I wanted to forget that I was being chased by terrifying government goons. I just wanted to remember what it was like to be… young.” She shook her head, turning back to the tray. “I know I sound stupid, or naive.”

“You don’t,” he replied, moving to stand next to her.  “I’m pretty sure I used to be the poster child for stupid, so I have it on good authority that you have a long way to go before you sound like either.” He paused, knocking his elbow into her side. “For what it’s worth I’m sorry too.  I’m not exactly used to people not following my orders and I may have overreacted a bit.”

“A bit?”

“You’re not going to let this be easy are you?” he huffed, letting his focus fall to the tray on the stove. He chanced a look at Felicity. “What exactly are they?”

She shot him a glare. “They’re cookies obviously. I thought they might help ease the whole apology thing.”

He let a small smile cross his face while he poked at the charred lumps. “I’m not really sure those were ever cookies.”

“Are these the kind of manners private school education instills in children?” Felicity countered pushing his hands away from the food. Not that Oliver would consider them food.

Oliver gave her a tight smile; school, his past, anything before the Gambit went down, it wasn’t something he’d allowed himself to think about for a very long time.  “Something like that,” he said quietly.

Her back was to him again, blonde ponytail swaying back and forth as she transferred the black hockey puck-like creations to a cooling tray.  He wasn’t sure when they’d gotten one of those either.

Felicity glanced back at him from over her shoulder.  “You’re seriously not going to try one? I worked really hard on these.”

She pouted. Of course she pouted; as far as he could tell, it seemed to be her default setting when she was looking to get her way.  It was no wonder she and Tommy had a thing.

Oliver groaned and plucked a cookie from the tray. He still wasn’t sure he could even call it a cookie, but he steeled his nerves and his stomach.  Felicity watched him with eager anticipation; he wasn’t sure how she made him feel like things were a little less life and death, but somehow she did.  He took a deep breath, just before taking a bite.

No amount of preparation could have readied him for the taste. While the outside was blackened to a crisp, the center was still gooey, and if it had been any other cookie in the world, that could have saved it. But Felicity’s cookies were salty, like someone dumped an entire canister into the batter, or added the amount of salt where sugar should have been.   The worst part was that he couldn’t even tell if the chunks were supposed to be raisins or chocolate chips.

He tried to hide the disgust on his face, but he had eaten better food foraged on Lian Yu than that one bite of cookie. He couldn’t even bring himself to swallow it; so he turned his head, spitting it into the trash.

“You’re being dramatic,” she scoffed, plucking a black lump of her own from the cookie sheet. He watched as her face shifted from triumph to revulsion in a matter of seconds. “Oh my god, how could something taste _that_ bad?”  She turned to the sink, spitting the bite down the drain and wiping her tongue off to rid herself of the taste.

“Did you even follow the recipe?”

“Who needs a recipe for cookies?” Felicity asked, and her face held such innocence that he almost couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Oliver rolled his eyes walking over to pull a pair of water bottles from the fridge. As he came back, he handed one to her. “You apparently,” he said dryly.

“It’s supposed to be easy.”  Felicity plopped down in the seat beside him, heaving a huge sigh.  “No wonder my mother never made them for me growing up.”

“If the last few days with you have taught me anything,” Oliver said, giving her a mocking glare.  “It’s that you don’t ever make anything easy.”  The salt still stung his lips and Oliver took a long gulp, drinking down at least half the bottle.

“Ha ha,” Felicity said, but there was an edge of pain to her voice.  With another huff, she took the tray and a spatula to the trash can as she tried to scrape the remnants off.  Her mood seemed to shift, her shoulders slumping forward as every _plop_ of a charred blob hit the bottom of the garbage can.

Oliver cleared his throat, pulling her attention.  “I think the pan is done for,” he said solemnly.  “Just let it go.”

She let the tray drop into the can, the sound echoing in the small space, as her face seemed to fall. He was sure he’d said something insulting, which was par for the course with them. But when he opened his mouth to apologize the bedroom door opened, Akio emerging with a smile.

“Are we getting dinner soon?” he asked, coming to stand next to Felicity. “I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, buddy. Pizza right?”

Akio nodded enthusiastically, with a little jump in triumph.  

He watched Felicity smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes like it usually did, as she moved to walk around the counter.

“Better get changed,” he called out causing her to whip back around to him.

She gave him a confused look. “What?”

“Dinner, pizza,” Oliver said. Maybe he could earn a bit of forgiveness if he extended an olive branch. “Unless you’d rather we bring you something back?”

“No,” she replied quickly, trying to hid the grin on her face. “Just give me five minutes.”

She was off to the bedroom then, closing the door quickly. Akio turned to Oliver, raising a brow. “So how long do you think she’ll really be?”

“Longer than five minutes,” He muttered, looking over at him. “You should grab a snack.”

Akio sighed, but then his face light up. He reached across the counter, and Oliver saw what he had locked eyes on. The last of Felicity’s cookies. He stopped Akio’s hand, with a shake of his head. “Trust me, no.”

\---

A weight had definitely been lifted from Tommy’s shoulders when he finally learned that Felicity was alive and well and with Oliver.  He might not have known more than that since her message in the personal ad was brief, but for now, it was enough to know that two of the most important people in his life were alive and together.

Tommy and Diggle had left the race track immediately and returned to the hotel where they were staying in order to make some additional arrangements.  Diggle called Lyla and explained the message to her; she seemed skeptical but thanked them for the heads up.  In return, she told them of her on-going mission in Moscow to find Felicity, and now apparently Oliver too.

Tommy just hoped that Lyla wasn’t doubting her allegiances.

For now, it seemed like all he was doing was waiting.  Waiting to hear from Lyla, waiting to have his reply to Felicity’s ad published in the Paris paper, waiting for a chance to head back to Moscow and meet up with her and Oliver.  But more immediately, waiting for his father to actually give Tommy something worth doing.

Because it was becoming ever clearer that Malcolm had brought Tommy to Monte Carlo to check up on him; there were no important meetings, no paperwork, no nothing really for Tommy to be doing.  He got up every morning, went into the office and sat behind a computer just waiting for something to happen.

This morning was no different, as he sat down at his desk with a coffee in hand and Diggle leaning against the door frame.

“Bet you’re having the time of your life too,” Tommy sighed, rubbing his brow.

Diggle shrugged.  “I’ve had worse jobs.  In fact, believe it or not, this is pretty tame compared to a lot of what I do.”

“Today, I believe you.  Last week… not so much.”

Tommy flipped the lid up on his laptop, using the ghost server John had connected before routing his browser to the Paris paper to check for his ad again.  They had told him that it would take a couple of days for it to go live and Tommy was itching for a response from Felicity and Oliver soon.

A knock on the door caused a knee-jerk reaction of Tommy slamming the laptop closed, his eyes scanning the room and finally landing on Diggle, who gave him the biggest ‘wtf’ look ever.  Diggle shook his head and pulled the door open, a petite brunette standing in front of him.  It was Malcolm’s secretary, or at least one of them, Tommy was pretty sure.

“Mr. Merlyn?” she said, her voice meek as Diggle took a step back, granting her access to the office.  Tommy shuddered, his father would eat that girl alive.

“Yes,” Tommy said, clearing his throat and sitting straighter in his seat.

“Um, Mr. Merlyn would like to see you in his office immediately,” she said, barely darting a look at Tommy.

“Does the Mr. Merlyn, Mr. Merlyn thing ever get confusing?” Tommy asked with a smile.  He was trying to lighten the mood or pull her back from the edge or something.  It didn’t work.

“No, sir,” she said, and then turned and walked away.

“Well, she’s a party,” Diggle said, giving Tommy a firm pat on the back.  “I guess it’s time for you to go see Mr. Merlyn, Mr. Merlyn.”

Tommy rolled his eyes.  “That’s my joke.”

“Then I suggest you work on your act,” John said with a grin. “Or don’t quit your day job.”

With a narrow glare, Tommy pushed out of his seat and trailed down the hallway after the mousy brunette, whose name he couldn’t quite remember.  Olivia or Amanda or Audrey or something.  He didn’t remember her from the office in Starling three weeks ago, so he had a feeling she was new and wouldn’t be sticking around any longer than the last one.  He took the stairs two at a time until he’d reached the top, moving toward his father’s office with purpose.

The door was slightly ajar and the secretary, Alice or Autumn or whatever her name was gestured for Tommy to enter, so he made his way into the office where his father was seated behind a large desk.  It struck Tommy for the first time, that it was possible that his father had an office in every one of their MG branches all over the globe.  Malcolm certainly knew how to use his influence.

“Ah son, good to see you,” the man in question said, ushering Tommy in and to have a seat in the chair across the desk.  Malcolm was on the phone, nodding his head and interjecting when appropriate.

Tommy sat, taking in the space that reminded him a lot of his father’s office in Starling City.  It had the same minimalist glass, chrome and leather furniture with antiquities lining the shelves and floor space.  If there was one thing Tommy never understood his father’s love for, it was Asian weaponry and statues.

The phone dropped to the cradle and Tommy readjusted his attention back to his father.  It should seem strange to him that he’d been there more than a week and this was the first time he’d been to his father’s office, shouldn’t it?

“Tommy, do you know why I make the Forbes 100 list every year?”

It seemed an odd question to begin a conversation, but knowing his father, it could literally be headed anywhere.  “Your charm and charisma?” Tommy asked with a toothy grin.

“No,” Malcolm answered, standing from his chair and buttoning the front of his suit coat.  Tommy stood as well and his father closed the distance between them, putting a heavy arm on his shoulder.  “I make the Forbes 100 list every year because every year Merlyn Global does two very important things.  The first, is make more money than 60% of most companies in the United States combined.  The second is philanthropy.  I know you prefer to throw my money away rather than to put it to good use, but if I am going to groom you to take over this empire one day, you need to be well versed in the art of charity work.”

Tommy frowned.  “I give faithfully to the Glades Free Clinic and--”

“I am talking about altruism here, Tommy.  Not the bleeding heart’s club.  The clinic is a leech that will never draw the same national media attention that something like starting a foundation will do.”

Tommy had to swallow down the bile he felt over his father’s words.  That clinic had been everything to his mother, and the full on production of charity his father was looking for felt like a punch in the gut.  But Tommy bit back the harsh words that threatened to escape.

“A grunt of acknowledgement that you understand what I’m saying would be nice, son,” Malcolm continued and Tommy ground his teeth, giving his father a tight smile.

“I understand,” he said, his jaw still clenched tight.  He would have to make his check to the Glades Free Clinic a little bigger next month, just to spite his father.  “Is that all?”

“I want a list of ideas on my desk by the end of the day.”  Malcolm reclaimed his seat behind his desk, shooing Tommy out the door.

Once he found the ability to move again, Tommy shuffled out the door, letting it close behind him, and leaned against it for stability.  He was beginning to think working for his father was more akin to selling his soul to the devil than being groomed to take over the family business.  He should have realized it in the beginning, before he pulled Felicity over to MG.  Malcolm had never been high on Tommy’s list of favorite people, even before his father threatened to cut off his inheritance because of the partying and the women.  There just always seemed to be something sinister in his father, even if he never quite knew what it was.

Diggle was waiting for him in the hallway and offered Tommy a quirked brow upon spotting him.  “It went that well, huh?” John asked.

“I have to find a charity worthy of the money of the great and powerful Malcolm Merlyn,” Tommy sighed, although he was grateful for a project, something to keep his mind off of worrying about Felicity.  A slow smile spread across Tommy’s face as they made their way through the hallway and back down the stairs to his office.  Spending his father’s money might be just the thing he needed to get him back to Russia.

\---

Felicity wasn’t sure what to make of Oliver anymore. Every second she spent with him cast a different light onto who he was. She had developed this image of him over the months of searching and hearing countless tales from Tommy. One she was quite proud to say actually seemed plausible. Until she tried to factor in Tommy’s kidnapping. It was the piece of the puzzle that never quite fit. Not with all the stories of their childhood and what she’d already seen of him with Akio. It was the one mystery Felicity couldn’t solve. And it really bugged her.

At least she was outside for once. Never in a million years would sitting on a terrace as she ate a slice of pizza, have been such an appealing notion to her, but it was. Oliver was on edge. She could see it in the way he kept his eyes from staying in one place and the hand he kept at his side, which she was sure was closest to his gun. Maybe he was always like this out of the apartment. She wouldn’t blame him if that were true.

“Can I get another slice?’ Akio asked, pulling both of their attention back to the table.

Oliver looked around, his eyes focusing on the counter a good twenty feet away, like he was debating letting the boy go by himself. He finally nodded, giving Akio a quick smile. “Just stay where we can see you.”

“Okay,” Akio replied, before he stood and walked inside.

She knew she should help Oliver keep a watch on Akio, but she found herself focused on him. She tried to analyze the look in his eyes or the lines set into his face.

“You’re staring,” he said, not even turning to look at her. “It’s kind of distracting.”

“I wasn’t,” she shook her head. There wasn’t really a reason to lie to Oliver. But that didn’t mean she wanted to admit to watching him. “I was observing your face. I mean not your face, not that it wouldn’t be a wonderful thing to-- Anyway I just was watching you watch Akio. You seem to really care about him.”

She could see the faintest of eyebrow raises from him, and something that seemed to resemble a smirk. But it was gone too quickly. “Does it surprise you that I care about him?”

Felicity looked around the dining area. There weren’t many people around, but she still wanted to make sure they weren’t being heard.

“Surprise wouldn’t be the word I’d use, more like intrigue.”

“I intrigue you?” he questioned, glancing over for a second. “Why?”

“Not _you_ , you. More like your actions,” she clarified taking a drink from her water. “I mean one minute you’re all gruff and growly, pissed that I didn’t listen to you, and then just like that you’re all soft and caring about my hurt wrist. Or inviting me out for pizza. Your mood changes should come with a neck brace.”

He coughed. Okay it could have been a laugh, but it was really had to tell with Oliver. “Sorry, for confusing you.”

“There’s a way to rectify that,” she said before really thinking about what she was saying. _Really Felicity._ she thought with a groan. _Don’t antagonize the grump with a gun._

“I’m listening.” he said. But Akio was walking back to the table then, and she didn’t want to have this talk in front of him.

“I want to know what happened the last time you saw Tommy,” she said, as Akio reclaimed his seat. He smiled at them both before taking a large bite from his pizza.

Oliver stiffened as he watched her, like he was trying to get a read on where her head was at. “What’s there to know. It was before I left for my trip, I was probably packing.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Felicity took a deep breath, sitting up straighter in her seat. Sometimes to fake confidence you had to exude confidence right? “You know what I’m talking about.”

Akio looked up, giving them both a confused look. But he quickly seemed uninterested in their staring contest, and went back to his food.

“Why would you want to know that?” He had a hand resting on the table, his fingers rubbing against each other in rapid succession.

She shrugged, because she didn’t want to do this here, not with Akio listening in. The kid trusted Oliver so much. The last thing she would want is for him to start doubting that.

“It’s the one thing that doesn’t fit,” she finally said taking another bite of her salad, even if the lettuce had wilted beyond edibility by then. “And I’m nothing if not persistent when it comes to solving things.”

“It has not escaped my attention,” he replied as he went back to scanning the restaurant. He settled his gaze back to her with a shrug. “Which is why I’ll let you figure this one out on your own.” He turned to Akio, giving the boy a grin. “Come on, it’s getting late.”

Felicity wasn’t sure if it was because of everything he and Oliver had been through together, or just a credit to Akio’s upbringing, but the boy hopped up from his seat immediately, giving a cursory look around before walking toward the garbage can and throwing his trash away.

She followed the boys out, keeping as close as she could. They were a couple blocks into their walk when Akio started to fade. Without a word Oliver picked him up, letting the boy rest in his arms. Felicity felt a flutter in her heart, quickly looking away from them. Oliver didn’t strike her as the type who wanted his good moments commented on.

“You’re quiet,” he said, looking over to her.

“Is that a crime?”

“No, but for you it’s a little worrisome.”

She shrugged, sticking her hands into her pockets. Because really Russia? Did it have to be this damn cold. “I’m just thinking.”

“About Tommy?”

She shook her head, pulling her coat tighter around her. They were a few building away from their destination by then, but she felt like they hadn’t walked far at all. “Nothing in my life is what I thought it would be.”

He looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could Felicity heard the beeping coming from her bag. Oliver tensed at the sound and she had to give him a smile before reaching for it.

“That’s the alert I set up for the paper,” she explained, pulling her tablet out. She couldn’t hide the giddy smile spreading across her face. “I told you it would work.”

“Well before I congratulate you, maybe you should check the ad,” he replied as they entered the building lobby. Felicity was so thankful that at least the place had heating. Oliver pressed the elevator button, shifting Akio in his arms. “It could be a false reply.”

She rolled her eyes. But unfortunately he was right, anyone could answer a personal ad. But in her heart of hearts she knew it was going to be from Tommy. She pulled up the reply, reading it to herself. It was from Tommy alright. She took a deep breath letting a smile cross her face. He was okay. No matter where things took them from that point on, at least Tommy was okay.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Lovelies,
> 
> I want to say thank you to all of you. The fact that you read and look forward to this story every week, fills our hearts with so much. And I hope you continue to love and respond to the story no matter where it goes.  
> I won't bore you with my words. Except to say, I hope you enjoy this weeks chapter.
> 
> Much love,  
> Kayla

As crazy as it seemed, things had calmed down.  Felicity, Akio and Oliver had all fallen into a bit of a routine, for which Oliver was simultaneously grateful and wary of.  Living in constant danger with one person to protect was hard enough, but now that he had two, Oliver more than had his hands full.

Not that Felicity was overwhelmingly difficult; after the night at the club she hadn’t complained about having to stay in the apartment and honestly, the biggest threat she seemed to pose to him now was tripping over a pile of clothes or computer cords in the tiny apartment living room.

Akio on the other hand seemed to be doing little else than asking when they were taking him home.  When Oliver told him a few days ago that they were going meet his parents in Tokyo, he hadn’t actually expected the arrangements to take so long.  And if he wasn’t imagining it, Anatoly seemed to be quieter than usual.

“Oliver?” Akio asked, emerging from the bedroom with a video game in his hand.  He looked up, giving Oliver a hard look.  “Can I call my parents today?”

Oliver sighed, pulling out one of the dining chairs and sitting himself down in it so that he was on the boy’s eye level.  “Not yet buddy, okay?  We have to wait until--”

“I know,” Akio blew out a breath.  “We have to wait until Mr. Anatoly gets plane tickets.  But you said the same thing three days ago!”

“Hey Akio,” Felicity piped in, pulling the boy’s attention despite the pout still firmly in place.  “What game are you playing?” she asked.

“Zelda,” he answered, looking less than enthused.

“Oh, I like that one,” Felicity answered with a wide smile.  “So, you know how Link only has a certain number of bombs he can throw?”  Akio nodded, so she continued.  “Well, our phone is kind of like that.  We only have a certain number of calls we can make and still be safe.  Otherwise all the bad men that you’ve been running from can find us.  So we have to save our call and use it when it really counts, just like Link and his bombs.  But I bet that when we do get to call your parents, Oliver will do everything he can to make sure that your parents know just how much you miss them and can’t wait to see them.”

Akio brightened quickly.  “Okay,” he said, giving her a quick hug before turning and heading back to the bedroom.  “Thanks Felicity,” he added, calling over his shoulder.

Oliver bristled, not used to being sidelined when it came to Akio.  They’d been a team for so long that even if he wouldn’t admit it aloud, Oliver’s ego was a bit bruised.  But Felicity seemed pleased, giving Oliver a cheery smile as she pulled a sweater down over her tank top.

“He might be impatient, but the kid has a point,” Oliver said, standing and replacing the chair under the table.  “I’m surprised the arrangements are taking this long.”

Felicity shrugged.  “I can work some magic if you want… see what your completely upstanding and not at all shady boss is up to.”

Oliver side-eyed her before moving further into the kitchen.  “I don’t know if that’s necessary.”

“I wouldn’t even break a sweat, honestly.  I’m not sure who does their IT stuff, but if you want to prove useful to them, I can give you some pointers.”

Oliver felt a smirk at the corners of his mouth, which he tried to swallow down and failed.  He was grateful he wasn’t facing her; he didn’t want to give her any more encouragement.  “I am the only American to ever become as high ranking in the Russian mob as I am,” he said, his voice cool and confident.  “I don’t think I have any shortage of proving myself useful to them.”

“Noted,” Felicity countered, and there was a note of something in her voice-- intrigue? amusement?-- he couldn’t quite be sure.

Would she still sound so happy if she knew the things he’d done? To Nik and countless others? Would someone as bright as Felicity still find a way to smile at him if she knew the terrors he was capable of?

His jaw clenched and his grip on the counter was so tight he thought he might actually break whatever cheap material it was made from.  “I have to go out for a bit,” he said quickly, moving toward the door before Felicity could reply.

He was halfway down the street before he realized where he was heading; his legs moving on autopilot while his mind tried and failed to keep his demons at bay.  And when he stepped into the training facility, picked up his bow and gripped it tight in his hand, Oliver breathed a little deeper.  

The feel of the bow in his hand, nocking the arrow in place, the concentration as he found the heart of the target, the brief exhale as he steadied his hand, and then the satisfaction of the arrow finding purchase right where he intended it; it was cathartic for Oliver.  It was relief he didn’t know he needed.  He sunk four arrows into the target across the wide open range before his brain stopped reliving the horrendous memories of things he’d done to survive.  And he’d emptied his quiver before he could even let himself think about what would come next.

Because after Akio was home with his parents and he and Felicity reunited with Tommy, where did Oliver go from there?  Going home was out of the question; he was too damaged, he’d seen too many things, committed too many unspeakable evils to ever be allowed to embrace his mother and sister again.  Would he stay in Russia with Anatoly and the new brothers to whom he’d taken oath?  Perhaps he would find his way back to Lian Yu and live out the rest of his days in solitude; it seemed fitting, considering it was the place that molded him into what he had become, whatever that was.

His phone ringing cut through his thoughts and Oliver reached into his jacket, answering it immediately.

“I always think it takes a lot to scare my men,” Anatoly said on the other end, by way of a greeting.  There was something to his voice that Oliver had come to recognize as the man being impressed.  “But apparently you with a bow and arrows is enough for them all.”

Oliver quirked a brow, looking around the training facility, which was conspicuously empty.  He couldn’t remember if anyone had been there when he’d entered.  “It’s good to hear from you, Anatoly,” he answered.

“Yes, there was a miscommunication with our pilot,” Anatoly said.  “But there is one small thing remaining.”

“You don’t need me to fly the plane do you?” Oliver asked.  “Because that’s one scout badge I never got.”

There was a hearty laugh on the other end of the phone.  “No, Oliver, that will not be necessary.  But the plane leaves tonight, and before you go, I must have a chat with Akio and your girl.”

Oliver suppressed a groan.  The last thing he wanted was Felicity getting deeper into this than she had when she first showed up in Moscow.  Then again, she seemed to have her own special way of getting herself out of trouble.  “Alright,” Oliver sighed.  “We’ll be there soon.”

\---

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Digg asked, a brow raised as he sat across the desk. 

Tommy barely looked up from his computer, trying to finish up the last of the reports his father had shoved his direction that morning. Apparently he was good for something around the company. Tedious grunt work that a entry level intern could do. But it didn’t matter now. In a couple weeks time Tommy would be back in Moscow, and hopefully reunited with his friends. 

“It’s a great idea,” Tommy replied shooting Diggle a grin. “And it’s the only one that gets my father off my back, and the two of us back in the same country as Felicity.”

“Okay, I get that,” John stood moving around the small office. “But that doesn’t make it smart.”

Tommy found the man doing this often. Walking a room sometimes three times, always watching the exits. He didn’t ask why, knowing that sometimes people go through things, trials and crucibles. It wasn’t Tommy’s place to ask Digg about his past. 

“I needed a cause, one that would bring enough media buzz to Merlyn Global,” he stated, finally hitting send on  his last report. “What’s better than a charity gala at the Russian embassy in Moscow?”

“Again the overall details of the plan aren’t the problem. But the location is troublesome,” John said finally reclaiming his seat. “Do you know how high the mob population of Moscow is? Because I bet you don’t.”

It was true. Tommy hadn’t spent a lot of time in Russia. Most of it had been his recent day trip. But it didn’t matter. Not when it came to Oliver and Felicity. 

He looked at Diggle and shook his head. “I don’t care.”

“Of course you don’t. You’re not the bodyguard here,” The man sighed. “Mind if I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he turned a little in his chair so he was facing Diggle. 

“This friend of yours, the one you’ve been chasing all over the globe, is he worth it?” 

Tommy paused, rejecting his first instinct to lash out at John’s comment. The man wasn’t trying to be cold or cruel. He didn’t know Oliver, and he barely knew Tommy and Felicity. He deserved some kind of a reply.

“You got any siblings Digg?” Tommy asked.

“One. My brother Andy.”

“If you knew he was in trouble, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to bring him home safe?” Tommy coughed, averting his eyes from the man. “Oliver was the closest thing I ever felt like I had to real family after my mom died.”

“He might not be the same person you knew three years ago.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he replied with a shrug. “There’s nothing Oliver could ever do, nothing he could become, that would make him anything less than my brother.”

Digg gave him a nod, and he was sure the man was going to say something, but then his phone buzzed, successfully breaking their moment. He stood, excusing himself from the room, which Tommy was thankful for. He really didn’t want to talk about Oliver anymore. He didn’t want to think about the person Oliver had to become to survive in the world. 

The truth was he probably wouldn’t know, not the whole story. Even when he got back to Oliver, there was still a possibility his friend would never open up to him. And he hated that. He hated the thought of Ollie carrying around the last few years like a weight attached to his neck, ready to pull him down. He hoped beyond anything that Felicity was helping. If anyone could bring someone back into the light it was her. 

He missed her. There was no doubt about that. But he missed her for reasons he hadn’t considered before. Tommy never thought he’d be close to someone again after losing Oliver. But Felicity changed everything. She made it easy for him to open up, for him to be himself. They could talk for hours about stupid trivial things or deep emotional baggage. And leaving her was like losing a best friend all over again. Tommy hated it. He hated sitting on his hands while the two people he cared about most were out there being targeted. 

So it didn’t matter if Diggle thought his plan was crazy. Because at least he had one. At least he was being proactive and trying to bring them back together. 

He had been thinking about Waller’s words a lot the last few days, trying to decipher what she’d seen in him that afternoon. She’d been so sure she’d figured it out. That she had him pegged to the tee. But Tommy wasn’t even sure he knew his role, so how could she?

Oliver was the one to run in head first. He knew no matter what things his friend had been through that would never change. And Tommy was sure Felicity was the type who’d pull someone back when the flames got too high. But where did that leave him?

He was starting to think Digg was only half right. Maybe there were the ones who walked straight into the fire and the one who pulled the first back. But Tommy didn’t feel like either. So maybe there was also a third type. The person the other two were risking everything for. The one in the flames. Tommy had started this quest to save Oliver. But what if it was the other way around? What if the only reason Ollie had kidnapped him in the first place was to protect him? 

It made sense. Because Oliver was always doing something selfless when it came to Tommy. The year he skipped summer camp because Malcolm hadn’t signed Tommy’s permission slip. The Homecoming dance with Jenny Thompson he gave up, the year Tommy had mono. College on the east coast, when Tommy wrecked his beamer into the old oak tree on Grant. Okay so maybe Oliver had already flunked out by then, but he still came and sat with Tommy everyday. Pouring over the box scores or Oliver’s  _ personal  _ scores. 

Oliver did everything he could to make sure Tommy wasn’t alone when they were kids. Maybe Hong Kong was just his way of protecting him once more.

The door opened again and Tommy looked up. Diggle stood there running a hand across his face. “That was Lyla.”

“I figured,” he replied, shaking his thoughts from his mind. “What’s up?”

“Well since she’s been unable to locate Felicity in Moscow Waller’s given her a new assignment,” he said, giving Tommy a tense look.

He assumed John would fill him in, but when the man didn’t reply Tommy groaned. “Are we not privy to that information?”

Digg sighed, he really didn’t look like he wanted to continue. “Waller wants Lyla to bring you in. By any means necessary.”

\---

“Oliver, I’m not going,” Felicity huffed, dropping down into the couch, as if the movement alone would keep her locked in the apartment.  “We just heard back from Tommy, I’m not about to go traipsing to Tokyo when we don’t even know where Tommy  _ is _ yet.”

Oliver groaned.  “This is not a negotiation,” he growled.  “Besides, you were the one complaining about not being able to leave.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him.  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”  There was a big difference between seeing the sights of Moscow and hopping a plane to another country.  Especially when they were so close to reuniting with Tommy.

“We need to stop in and see Anatoly before we leave,” he said, moving swiftly around the apartment, shoving things into duffle bags.  

When Oliver picked up her laptop, it was the last straw.  She lept up from the couch, pulling it from his hands and nearly slamming it down onto the table.  “Oliver Jonas Queen, I consider myself a fairly level headed person, but if you touch my computer one more time, you will be plucking your bow with one less finger.”

Oliver recoiled just the slightest, meeting her eyes with a ferocity of his own.  “How do you--” he paused.  “Nevermind.  It doesn’t matter.  I don’t care what you decide to take with you, but there is a plane leaving for Tokyo in four hours to take that kid back to his parents and like it or not, you will be on it.”

Felicity scowled, positive that fighting would do her no good; she could never overpower him.  Besides, did she really want to be stuck in the heart of the Russian mob, against their wishes, without Oliver?  On second thought, Tommy very nearly might kill her for letting Oliver out of her sight again.  Without another word, she shut down her computer and began packing it away for the trip.  She also managed to fit a few changes of clothes into her computer case, wanting to pack as lightly as possible.  She had learned pretty quickly that being on the run from ARGUS was not glamorous and it certainly wasn’t easy to do in the heels and dresses she wore to the office at MG.  But having a couple of changes of clothes would keep her from repeating uncomfortable experiences of her past-- like waking up in only a t-shirt of Oliver’s that first morning.

“Why exactly do your bosses want to talk to me and Akio before we leave?” She might be going along with this stupid plan, but that didn’t mean she had to like it… or go quietly.

Oliver sighed.  “I really have no idea.  Maybe he’s planning on having you update our security,” he supplied.  “Or maybe they have a way to wipe your memory.”

Felicity’s head whipped around, only to find a small smirk on his face.  “You jest,” she said, shaking her head.  “But science fiction gets closer to actual science every day.”

“Maybe it’s a going away party,” Akio said, poking his head out from the bedroom.  “Oliver, is it okay if I bring my video games?”

Oliver nodded.  “Bring whatever you want, buddy.  After today you’ll never have to spend another day here.”

Felicity’s eyes danced between the two boys.  There was something wistful in Oliver’s gaze, even if he’d never admit it.  And she really couldn’t say she was surprised.  After all, Akio had become family to the man who’d abandoned his own without a word.  Oliver had been forced back into the role of big brother, and Felicity could only imagine he’d missed it more than anything else.  Because at the end of the day, family was family, no matter whose blood ran through your veins.

“Oliver do you think after we leave, Ana and Sofia will come visit?” Akio had disappeared back into the bedroom, but his hopeful tone carried easily between the thin walls.

“Maybe someday,” Oliver answered, even if his eyes were downcast and his jaw was set into a hard line.

Felicity moved from her bag toward the small kitchen table where Oliver was shoving clothes into a duffle.  “I can show them how to set up a secure connection once they get to where they’re going,” she said softly.  “There’s Skype and email and--”

“Amanda Waller is not the type to ever stop looking,” he answered quickly, turning away.  “It wouldn’t be safe.”

Felicity wanted to hug him, wanted to protect him, even if that was silly because clearly Oliver was the kind of man who could protect himself.  Except that he couldn’t, because if what she had seen was any indication, Oliver was closed off and distant.  He wasn’t protecting himself, he was hiding, running, keeping everything at arm’s length.  Maybe she understood more than she originally thought about why he had wanted Tommy to believe he was dead.

After all, hadn’t she done the same thing when she’d lost Cooper?  She’d run away, changed who she was, locked up all the messy, hard feelings and become someone she barely recognized. Granted, her new version of herself was someone she was proud of, but she certainly understood the appeal.

Felicity dropped her bag by the door and headed back to the bedroom to check on Akio.

“Just a few more hours and you’ll be back with your parents,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Akio zipped his backpack shut and came to stand in front of Felicity.  “He likes hot cocoa when he comes home late at night.  And if he has an angry face it’s better not to talk to him for a while, especially if he has his bow and arrows with him.”  The boy sighed.  “He forgets to buy food all the time, so maybe that should be your job.”  Felicity nodded, so he continued.  “But he will always keep you safe.”

She smiled, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.  “You did really good Akio.”

He nodded, tears in his eyes.  “You have to take care of him now.”

“I will,” she promised.

Slipping his backpack over his shoulders, Akio headed out of the bedroom.  Felicity followed close behind him, feeling like she’d just been passed a baton in a race even if she had no idea where the finish line was.  Getting Oliver home?  Reuniting him with friends and family?  Would that life ever suit him again?

It was too many questions that she didn’t have answers for.  Too many questions that weren’t hers to answer.  Questions that would have to wait for another day because even if Tommy wasn’t there to see it, she was grateful to be even just a small part of reuniting the Yamashiro family.  It was an event too long in the making.  Besides, Oliver’s ties to the Bratva would force their trip to Tokyo to be short, and they’d be back in Moscow in no time.  She would see Tommy again soon, Felicity was sure of it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday lovelies! Thanks for all the comments you leave for us- we really love being able to interact with you, see what you're thinking, answer questions you may have. So keep them coming! Now, are you ready for some more happenings? Because we've got them coming your way! <3 Cassie

 

Oliver sat next to the window, watching as they moved amid the clouds. He wanted to be happy for Akio. He did. And he was, or as happy as he could allow himself to be anymore. But the two had grown close over the last few months, relying on each other. Even if Oliver knew he shouldn’t have put so much of that on someone so young. Akio was a bright spot in the dark stillness of the life he’d been tossed into. The kid was the only reason Oliver was still breathing, hell he kept him moving most days. When he was gone, Oliver feared his will to live would go too. 

 

They’d been in the air for a few hours, and Akio’s excitement had finally worn him out enough for him to fall asleep in the seat across from Oliver. He smirked a little, remembering a time where he could never see himself taking care of a child. If felt like half a lifetime ago, before he left on the Gambit, when he’d told his mother about the girl he’d been all too careless with. He hadn’t been ready to be a father then and he still believed that to be true. But watching out for Akio, caring for him, made him wonder what could have been, had fate dealt him another hand in life. 

 

He knew he couldn’t be a father now. Too many things had happened, too much blood soaked his skin. He didn’t think there’d ever come a day when he wouldn’t wake thinking of the lives he had taken or the pain he’d inflicted on others. 

 

“Penny for your thoughts,” Felicity said as she slid into the seat next to him, a smile on her face. “Though I’m sure you’re way more expensive than that.” Her face blanched as she shook her head. “I meant your thoughts are more expensive, because you had that face that you get when you’re brooding. Though you do it an awful lot so maybe it’s just your resting face. Beats this guy I knew freshman year, he had that deer in the headlights type of face, and you could never tell if he was listening or just got massively confused by string theory or something like--”

 

“Felicity,” he cut her off, turning in his seat to face her. “Is there a point to this anecdote?”

 

She took a breath before continuing. “You look like you have a lot on your mind.” 

 

“I’m fine,” he said hoping that would be enough on the subject. But she was still looking at him, like she was trying to see passed something. “What?”

 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but how in the world are you part of something like the Russian mob? Your poker face sucks. I have literally seen children lie better than you.”

 

“Is there a right way to take that?”

 

Felicity rolled her eyes, settling back in her seat. It was Oliver’s turn to watch her, trying to decipher the woman Tommy had tossed into their lives. Every time he was convinced he had her figured out, she’d switch gears on him. It had been a long time since anyone had surprised him like she did. She was scared and fearless, kind but strong willed. And every moment he spent with her only gave him a new glimpse at the person she was. 

 

“Do you think Anatoly will ask me for more favors?” Felicity asked, and then scrunched her nose at the connotation.  “I mean computer-wise, once we get back.”

 

Oliver shrugged; how was he to know what the Bratva would ask of her.  Updating their security and firewalls, as Anatoly had asked her to do before they left was one thing, but if Felicity had found him in Moscow from a photo that was online for ten minutes and then scrubbed, Oliver couldn’t fathom the depth of her abilities.  In the wrong hands it could be incredibly lucrative and incredibly dangerous.

 

“What if Waller has men in Tokyo?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he watched as she rung the hem of her shirt between her fingers. 

 

Before he caught himself, his hand was over hers, stilling the motion. He froze too as she shifted to lock eyes with him. 

 

“You don’t have any reason to trust Anatoly,” Oliver said, pulling his hand back. “But I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t send us into an ambush. We’re getting Akio home safe.”

 

She nodded, her gaze moving across the aisle. Oliver followed her line of sight, shaking his head. So much for their backup. Ivan had been out pretty much since the moment they sat down in the plane. If he had to wager a guess, he’d say the man had overdone it the last few days. Ivan was still weak from his injuries; he should be home resting, not on a flight to Japan.

 

“Why did Anatoly insist he come along if we're not expecting trouble?” Felicity turned to face him, catching him off guard. He hadn’t realized he was leaning across his seat until then. Her face now inches from his. 

 

He pulled back with a shake of his head. What was wrong with him today? He was usually more aware of his surroundings, always sure of the distance he kept from others. It was for their protection. He couldn’t risk getting close to someone again, not after what had happened with Sara or Shado or Slade. Not after Nik. He couldn’t risk having friends. Anyone he brought into his life, even for a sliver of a moment, he lost just as easily. And it was always his fault. 

 

“Backup doesn’t mean something will go wrong,” he said. “Think of Ivan as a parachute on a plane. It’s there in case you need to jump.”

 

Her eyes went wide as she gulped. “Tell me we are not jumping out of this plane? Because I’ve been pretty calm about way more than any sane person should be, but under no circumstances will I ever be cool with jumping from this plane, or any plane. Or anything higher than like a foot off the ground. Okay?”

 

“So people wanting to kidnap you you’re okay with, but parachuting is where you draw the line?”

 

“If humans were meant to plummet to the earth from high above, evolution would have given us wings,” she retorted. “A lot of people are terrified of heights. I’m sure someone like you wouldn’t understand.”

 

“Someone like me?” he gave her a look. 

 

“I mean... someone who’s practically fearless. With the stony gaze, and the muscles that go on forever, and could probably take down a bear if it charged for you,” she rolled her eyes taking a deep breath. “I bet you’re not scared of anything.”

 

He bit back his reply, not wanting to say anything more. He didn’t want to tell her how wrong she was, and just how much he feared. He didn’t even think he’d know how to tell her that. Because letting people get too close was one of them. Time had proven that he was right to fear that. 

 

He couldn’t let Felicity be the next person he tore apart with his jagged edges. So he leaned back in his seat, keeping quiet for the rest of their trip. They’d be landing in Tokyo soon. And who knew what would come after that.

 

\---

 

“You know,” Tommy said, his breathing labored as he struck a punching bag, his knuckles wrapped in tape. It’d been years since he’d done this. Not since high school, when he quit his boxing classes, in order to pursue other interests. It was a lot easier to chase girls without a set of bruised ribs getting in the way. “I’m pretty sure some Rocky theme music would complete this whole training montage we got going on here.”

 

Diggle laughed, moving from behind the punching bag and taking a quick swing at Tommy.  To both their surprise, Tommy ducked the hit, before retaliating with a jab toward the other man’s ribs.  Digg moved back, raising his fists in a poised stance.  Tommy, on the other hand, was too busy looking at his own fists like he’d just struck gold.

 

“Apparently it is like riding a bike.”

 

The brief sparring match was cut short when Tommy’s phone rang-- his father’s tone blaring through the otherwise empty hotel fitness center.  He picked it up, taking a deep, steadying breath before answering.

 

“This is the phone of Thomas Merlyn, heir to the Merlyn Global Empire, how may I direct your call?”

 

There was a heavy sigh on the other end, but not the one he’d expected.  “I’ve got Malcolm Merlyn on the line for his son,” a female voice said.

 

Surely his joke would have gone over better with his father.  On second thought, maybe not.  “Speaking,” Tommy said, moving toward a wooden bench along the back wall of the room.  A throat cleared on the other end, and Tommy could very nearly feel the disappointment seeping through the phone.  “Dad, I didn’t think I was needed in the office today.”

 

“I’m calling regarding your charitable donation.  I was just notified that a quarter of a million dollars is being sent to the American Embassy in Moscow and that my company is footing the bill for a gala and auction to raise additional funds there.”

 

“Oh good, you got my memo,” Tommy said, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder so he could unwrap the tape from his hands.

 

“Your memo,” Malcolm echoed.  “Son, what exactly does the American Embassy in Moscow need with all of that money?”

 

“I’m glad you asked,” Tommy grinned.  “Did you know that two weeks ago there was an American couple vacationing in Russia that are now missing?  Did you also know that of the $47.2 billion dollars that the U.S. government spent abroad last year, none of it went to investigating American citizens who go missing overseas?”

 

“I swear to you Tommy, if this is about Ol--”

 

“It is about him, actually,” Tommy spat, cutting his father off.  “It is about honoring my friend’s memory.  It’s about other people like him who step off American soil and are never heard from again.  It’s about doing more for those people, because they deserve for more to be done.”  There was silence on the other end, so he continued.  “I’ve been speaking with our lawyers and I am setting up a relief fund to help investigate disappearances around the globe.  In a week, I am hosting a gala at the American Embassy in Moscow to honor that missing couple.”

 

“You seem fairly adamant about this. And you know how much I hate backing out of things once the company’s name has been involved,” Tommy could hear his father tisk through the phone, like he was scolding his son for a ‘D’ instead of charity work. “You should have Miss Smoak come up with an audio visual presentation for the gala. Bleeding heart diplomats eat that sort of thing up.”

 

“Felicity’s still visiting family,” Tommy replied, keeping any hesitation out of his lie. “Her mom’s still on bedrest and her doctor thinks it’s a good idea for someone to be there to help out.”

 

“Then perhaps Miss Smoak would benefit from getting her mother private care. So she can return to what I pay her for.” 

 

“While, leaving a sick relative may be in the Merlyn book of ethics, the rest of the the world takes family a bit more serious. So if there’s nothing else company related you would like to discuss, I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”

 

Without leaving time for another word, Tommy ended the call and dropped his phone into his lap.  He glanced up, finding Diggle leaning against the wall near him, a smile playing on his face.

 

“You did good today,” he said, giving Tommy a nod.  “And I don’t just mean with the training.”

 

Tommy nodded, appreciating the words of encouragement.  If Oliver was the mischevious brother that Tommy never had, then Diggle was certainly the older, wiser, protective brother that he never knew he needed.  It was nice having someone along for whatever hellish ride this was turning out to be, and even if Tommy wished that it were still Felicity, he was grateful for the training and experience that came along with having Diggle at his side.

 

“Thanks,” Tommy said, stripping the last bit of tape from his hands and standing.  He blew out a long breath and met Diggle’s eyes.  “That’s one major hurdle down.  And now we can make plans to get back to Moscow.”

 

“You think we should talk about the fact that Waller has a bounty out for you?”

 

“I’d prefer to ignore it for as long as possible, if I’m being completely honest,” Tommy quipped, even if he knew it wasn’t possible.  Going back to Moscow would make the entire situation more complicated.  But it was Oliver and Felicity, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for them.  “Besides, we have a gala to plan.”

 

“I think you mean you have a gala to plan,” he corrected.

 

“Come on, Digg, you aren’t backing out on me, are you?”

 

“I’m not the overprivileged party boy, Mr. Merlyn.”

 

Tommy appreciated the humor from Diggle, even if they were both leaving far too much unsaid.  They would need to sort out a plan of attack for when they got back to Russia.  Although, if the phone call he’d just hung up from was any measure of his father’s attitude toward the whole thing, Tommy was pretty sure he could expect to be travelling back without Malcolm in tow, which would make it marginally easier to handle.  At the very least, he wouldn’t have his father questioning why a covert government agency was coming for him… or worse.

 

“Yes well, I’m not usually the one planning these things,” he sighed, thinking back to the night that started this all, and the party that had been broken up by the cops when a drug dealer flew over the balcony of Tommy’s house.  So many things had changed since then, so many things had been set in motion.

 

“Something tells me you’ve learned how to do more with less.  This life has a way of cultivating that in a person.”

 

Tommy nodded.  It certainly did, at that. They moved out of the fitness center and toward the elevator at the center of the hotel.  Tommy knew that Diggle hadn’t been happy about the hotel that Malcolm stuck them in; there were too many hidden lines of sight, too many alcoves where anyone could hide.  But it wasn’t exactly like Tommy could tell his father that they couldn’t stay there because of the ARGUS agents that were potentially (and highly probably) following them.

 

Tommy pushed the thoughts from his mind.  It was enough to drive him crazy if he let himself dwell on it too much. “I don’t suppose you have any fancy event planner contacts, do you?” he asked, brows raised in expectation.  

 

Diggle rolled his eyes.  “It’s a phone, man, not a magic wand.  But Lyla may know someone, hell she might be able to help you with it.”  The elevator carried them to the sixth floor, where their room was just to the left and down the hall.  The hotel had been fairly quiet since they’d arrived, and Tommy couldn’t decide whether or not that was a good thing.

 

“You mean your wife, the woman tasked with bringing me into her scary lady boss who we’ve been on the run from since Paris?”  He turned the key in the door, letting them into the room.

 

No sooner had the door shut behind them, than a knock sounded on it, impatient and insistent.  The men locked eyes and Diggle motioned for Tommy to back up against the wall, out of sight of the door.

 

Tommy did as instructed, hiding himself from view, barely catching sight of Diggle pulling a gun from underneath his jacket before the man was out of sight.  He heard the door unlatch and there was a shuffling movement, but it didn’t sound like an altercation.  Cautiously, Tommy peered around the wall, only to find John and Lyla, locked in a passionate embrace.

 

“Speak of the devil,” Tommy sighed.

 

\---

 

Stepping off the plane in Tokyo jolted Felicity’s memories back in time. To another private jet and a very different billionaire. So much had changed since she and Tommy had set out on the journey to find Oliver. She had changed as well. Some parts by choice, others by necessity. But she didn’t regret it. Not when she knew how close they were to reuniting a family. Maybe this hadn’t been at all what Felicity had thought this trip would be, but she wouldn’t change any of it. Okay maybe the getting shot part. 

 

Akio was sitting next to her, practically bouncing out of his seat belt as they drove the streets of Tokyo, on their way to their hotel. Ivan sat up front with the driver Anatoly surely hired, while Oliver was squeezed on the other side of Akio, watching the world pass them by outside.

 

“Wait until you meet my mom Felicity, she’s the best,” Akio said as he twisted around to look out the window. “Isn’t she Oliver?”

 

“Yeah, buddy. She is,” he answered the kid, but didn’t turn from the window. 

 

She wondered what was going on in his head, as she watched him from the corner of her eye. Because Oliver was quite difficult to get a read on most days. Things had to be weighing on him, she was sure; the man had spent months watching out for Akio, caring for him. And even if he knew his goal was always to get Akio home, it still had to hurt to lose him. Right?  

 

“So Akio, what are you going to miss most about your time with Oliver?” Felicity asked smiling at the boy. She could see Oliver shift his gaze over, raising his brow slightly. Good, he needed to be listening.

 

The kid took a moment before replying, tapping a finger against his chin, before smiling big. “Cookies for breakfast.”

 

Oliver let out a small laugh that caught Felicity by surprise. He leaned over, ruffling Akio’s hair. “Maybe we shouldn’t tell your parents that, okay?”

 

“Anything else?” Felicity pressed.

 

“Well, probably the time we went to the Dolphinarium, or getting to be friends with Ana,” Akio said before shrugging. “But mostly that he took care of me for my mom and dad. Not many people would do that.”

 

She could see Oliver shift in his seat, but there was a smile on his face. It was small, but it was the realest one she’d seen from him the entire time she’d been around. 

 

It looked good on him. Not that Felicity was noticing whether things looked good on Oliver’s face or not. Except like objectively, as a person of the human race who noticed things like a person smiling. Or the little crinkle that happened right between the eyebrows when said person was annoyed, or angry, or pretty much any time they were awake. 

 

“Are you okay?” Akio asked, pulling Felicity from her thoughts.

 

She shook her head, removing her focus from Oliver. Not that it had been on Oliver. At all. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Your cheeks got really red,” he explained, pointing at her face. “If you’re hot I bet we can roll down the window.”

 

“I’m okay. Thank you though,” she replied, taking a deep breath. Oliver was watching her too, like he was convinced she might pass out on them. “Really I’m fine. When we get to the hotel we need to grab a burner phone, set a place to meet up.”

 

“Then I get to go home,” Akio smiled excitedly. 

 

“Yes then you get to go home,” Oliver agreed with a nod. 

 

The car pulled to a stop in front of tall building, and even if Felicity couldn’t read the text on the sign, she knew it had to be their hotel. The four of them climbed from the car. The little bit of luggage they had, was being loaded onto a cart. 

 

“Okay Felicity and I are going to grab the phone,” Oliver said coming to stand next to her. “Akio you go up to the room with Ivan.”

 

The boy’s eyes went wide as he looked up at the man in question and gulped. He turned back to Oliver with a pleading look. “Can’t I come with you?”

 

“Not this time,” Oliver replied, bending down to whisper to him, but loud enough that Felicity could hear. “Don’t worry he’s still weak. I think you could take him.” He winked at Akio causing the boy to laugh. “We’ll be back soon.”

 

He straightened and pulled Ivan to him, his hand clutched on the man’s arm. The next words Oliver spoke were quick and hushed, and were probably Russian. When he finished speaking Ivan pulled back, looking annoyed and slightly afraid. He lead Akio towards the hotel entrance. 

 

“What did you say to him?” Felicity asked when he turned back to her.

 

Oliver paused for a moment, a grin on his face. “Please.”  He started walking, leaving Felicity there, slightly dumbfounded by his remark.

 

Once her brain clicked back in gear, she hurried to catch up with him, her pace swift to match his long strides.

 

After a few minutes Felicity spoke. “Can I ask you a question without eliciting a ‘grr’ face from you?” 

 

“There’s certainly a first time for everything.” He looked over to her, but at least he didn’t appear to be annoyed. 

 

“How are you doing?” she paused as she chewed her bottom lip. “And this isn’t one of those ‘I’m just asking to make small talk’ questions. I’m concerned, about you. I know Akio means a lot to you. You can’t spend that much time with one person and not care about them. And I’m worried losing him is going to hurt you more than you would admit to yourself or... you know anyone.”

 

“I’m not the kid’s father Felicity,” he countered. But his steps had slowed. “He has a family. One that has been going crazy with worry for months. He needs to go home.”

 

“You have one too you know,” she said, barely registering when he stopped next to her. She took the chance to swing her steps so she was facing him. “There are people who care about you, and have driven themselves crazy thinking about you too. For longer even.”

 

“I know how Tommy feels.”

 

“I’m not just talking about Tommy,” her voice rose a little, and she looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. “But we can start there. He’s your best friend and he went through so much to try and find you. But ever since we met, nothing about your demeanor indicates you have even the slightest desire to see him.”

 

“I really don’t think now is the time for this talk,” he made a move to go around her, but she pulled on his arm, keeping him in place. 

 

“Tommy, your mother, your sister,” Felicity shook her head. “I don’t get how you can just not want to see any of them again.”

 

“I didn’t ask for you to come looking for me,” Oliver replied, pulling out of her grip as he kept his eyes trained on the ground. “In fact, I told Tommy to go home and forget about this damn search. But he didn’t. And you helped him get this far. So I know you think you have this authority on the subject, but...” He finally lifted his gaze meeting her eyes. “You don’t know anything about my life from the moment that boat went down. So stop acting like you understand the things I’ve been through.”

 

She froze at his words. They dug in deep, worse than any verbal lashing she had ever experienced. And she’d gone through the wringer a few times in the last year. But Oliver’s words hurt more; mostly because they were true. She didn’t know Oliver, not really. She’d searched for him for months, stared at his face until her eyes blurred, thought herself into his his head space time and time again; but that hadn’t been real.  And the glimpses of a person she’d seen the last couple of weeks were just that. Snapshots of someone who’d been slashed and bruised from all sorts of mysteries she’d never be able to uncover. And she didn't have the right to try. 

 

“I’m sorry,” she said. Even as she did, she knew how flat the words sounded. What else was there to say though. “I didn’t mean to imply that I knew what you went through.”

 

He took a deep breath, like he was considering saying something else. An apology maybe. She didn’t think she exactly deserved one for prying. 

 

“I don’t talk about it,” his voice was quiet, and she had to take a step closer to hear him over the bustle of the city. “The Gambit and what happened after. There are things I’ve done, things I had to do that I don’t want them to know, ever. It’s better that they think I’m dead.”

 

She didn’t know what to tell him. What kind of words could help Oliver? Because the man before her was so much more broken than she ever could have imagined. She was terrified of the things he must think of himself. What kind of descriptors did someone have to label themselves to keep going?

 

“I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to family,” she said, trying to keep the tears from falling. “It’s only me and my mom, since my dad left us. But I do know that no matter the thing he’s done, I could never think it was better for him to be dead. And I’m sure your family would feel the same.”

 

“You don’t know that.”

  
“Neither do you,” she challenged, taking a deep breath. “We should get that phone.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers,  
> You are wonderful. All of you come here every week and you give this story what it needs. An audience to love it, to seek it, to enjoy it. And it's so heartwarming to know that it's come to mean something to all of you.  
> We want to give back to all of you for reading and being invested. So a week from this Wednesday Cassie and I are hosting a Q&A over on Tumblr: http://holysmoaksoliver.tumblr.com/post/139700802969/kayla-foreverfelicityqueen-and-i-have-greatly  
> It'll be from 8est-9est, at the same time Arrow would usually be on, but since it will be on mini hiatus why not chat with some writers?  
> So without further ado, let's get to the real reason you're here.  
> xoxo  
> Kayla

Of all of the things that Oliver had grown to hate over the last couple of years, the one thing he hated the most was the unknown.  There were so many things that could go wrong, so many variables that were incalculable.  It was why he’d so early on adopted the mindset of ‘head on a swivel’, because if you were always on the lookout, it was less likely that you’d be taken by surprise.

Even still, some things were inevitable, like Felicity falling into his lap and basically turning his world upside down.  There were plenty of positives about her presence-- namely being able to return Akio to his parents, but the last few hours had been uncomfortable and tense between them after Felicity’s interrogation on the streets of Tokyo.

Thankfully, Oliver had other things to occupy his mind, like figuring out the logistics of their meet with Tatsu and Maseo the following day.  So while Akio and Ivan slept on the matching twin size beds, Oliver and Felicity’s attentions were concentrated on the small screen of her laptop, checking surveillance cameras and various vantage points of the spot they’d agreed on earlier with the Yamashiros.  She hadn’t brought up their conversation about Starling or his family, but the weight of it still hung thick in the air between them.

“What about that spot?” Oliver asked, pointing to the screen.

“It’s a blind spot, a camera dead zone,” she answered, chewing on her bottom lip.  

She seemed to do it when she was nervous, although he clenched his jaw, chiding himself for noticing.  He told himself it was just because he constantly needed to be reading people, it was the only way he had kept himself and Akio alive and safe for as long as he had.

“But,” she said, turning to face him, a bright smile on her face.  “I may or may not have hacked into some thermal imaging satellites.  Hint: I did.”  She clicked to another window, showing a thermal view of the same spot.  “It’s clear there, so far.  I’ll have my tablet with me tomorrow so we can double check before anyone moves in.  You and the Yamashiro’s have come too far and waited too long for this day, just to have it ruined by cranky-pants Waller and her scary soldiers.”

Oliver wasn’t sure if it was the relief he felt over this whole thing being near an end, or just the oddity of her babbling, but he felt a smile creep onto his face at her words.  He shook his head dismissively, dropping his gaze to his hands.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, not meeting her eyes.  “I had nothing before you.”  He paused, and then quickly amended his statement.  “With the search for Maseo and Tatsu.  It was all dead ends.”  He cleared his throat, watching her face soften.

“I think that might be the first nice thing you’ve said to me since I met you.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he scoffed, but there was no real meaning behind his words.  “You’re still a pain in my ass.”

Felicity grinned.  “Nah, you’re going soft, Queen.  A regular marshmallow.”

Oliver rolled his eyes.  “I never should have saved you in that cafe,” he said under his breath.  He stood, needing air, needing space, needing to make these words stop rolling off his tongue.

“Just remember,” Felicity called, her voice quiet to keep from waking the others.  He stopped, turning back to see her eyes dancing in the soft glow of the computer screen.  “You had nothing before me.”

He shook his head, making his way to the bathroom and closing the door between them.  Bracing himself against the sink, Oliver’s head fell forward.  He hated downtime, hated letting his mind have too much free time to think about everything he’d done, everything he’d seen.  He had gotten used to the way things were in Moscow; he worked, he spent time with Akio, he slept, and then he did it all over again.  

But after tomorrow there would be no more Akio, there was very little reason to even go back to Moscow, but he knew that he would.  In the dark underbelly of the world that Oliver had become acquainted with the last few years, he needed all of the allies he could get.  He knew that he could outrun Waller, especially with the backing of an organization like Anatoly’s brotherhood.

He would have to tell Tommy and Felicity that he couldn’t go back to Starling with them.  There was nothing left for him there, despite what his father’s dying wishes had been.  He couldn’t save their city, not if it meant opening his life back up to his mother and sister, to Tommy and Felicity.  His demons and ghosts would never be sated, and Oliver couldn’t subject anyone else to that.

A knock sounded on the door and Oliver pushed back the memories he was sure were haunting his eyes.  With a steadying breath, he twisted the knob, opening the door.

“Hi,” Felicity said.

“Hi…” he answered.

“So, I really didn’t want to give anyone a show, even if they’re both sleeping, and I was hoping I could use the bathroom to change?”

Oliver nodded, stepping to the side to let her pass, but she paused.

“About earlier,” she said, clearing her throat, her eyes darting around before finding his again.  “I’m sorry for pressing so hard about... “ her voice trailed off.  “I mean, I know I don’t understand anything that you’ve been through.  But if you ever need someone to talk to, well I might be a good person for that.  I didn’t know you before, so I wouldn’t think any different of you.”

“Felicity, I--”

“You can sleep on it,” she gave him a small smile.  “But for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re dark or broken or whatever you may think about yourself.”

It happened before he could process it; one hand snaked around her back and the other went to her cheek.  He pressed her against the doorway, their faces so close all he could see was the brilliant blue of her eyes, all he could hear was her sharp inhale as he pulled her into his arms.  She was warm and soft and everything he hadn’t realized he’d always imagined she would be.  He couldn’t remember the last time he held someone so close.  Their lips were just inches apart, her breath hot and fast on his face.  He leaned in.

“Oliver wait,” her breath ghosted across his cheek, making him pull back.

He was panting, he wasn’t sure why since there’d been nearly no exertion.  It had been effortless to pull her into his arms.  But whatever spell he’d been under had already broken, and all the walls that her words had crumbled went back up in that instant.

“I--”  but he didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know how to explain any of this to her, he couldn’t even explain it to himself.  So how could he tell her that he felt his innocence slipping away, that every day, every horrible thing that he did extinguished a little more of the light that made him feel human?

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, releasing her and moving out of the bathroom.  

Oliver closed the door between them, unsure of why she seemed to force so many of his emotions to the surface.  He hated the way he lost control around her; he’d been so composed, so shut down for so long.  It had gotten him through the last three years and as soon as they delivered Akio to his parents and he had sent Felicity and Tommy on their way, he was sure it would get him through the next however long he had left.

He found the spot on the floor that would be his bed for the night and shut off the remaining lights in the room.  Even if he wouldn’t sleep, he couldn’t stand the thought of looking into her eyes again after what he’d just done.  Tomorrow they would deal with whatever fallout remained, but for now, Oliver did the one thing he’d spent the last three years perfecting- avoiding anything that would make him feel.

\---

“You’re aware there are at least thirty-six blind points of entry to this hotel,” Lyla stated pacing the length of the suite.

She hadn’t said much since Diggle let her in the door. Opting to sweep the room for bugs first, then checking the balcony for signs of forced entry. Ah how good it was to have the full paranoia back in his life. 

“I covered that on day one,” John replied, and Tommy could see the man stop mid eye roll. He didn’t blame him. Lyla had that ‘don’t test me’ vibe about her like 90% of the time. Digg stood, moving towards his wife. “And I check ‘em each night when we get back here. What should I have done made the kid sleep at the office instead?”

Tommy scoffed. “Not a kid, and still within hearing distance of both of you so thanks.”

Lyla finally looked at him, her eyes trying to hold back whatever she didn’t want him to know. But he’d seen too much. And his brain was opened up to too much what if’s of the world. 

“Why do you have that look like you want to bring something up, but you’re trying to predict my reactions first?” He moved towards the bar, having a feeling whatever Lyla was going to tell him was going to require at least some amount of alcohol. He’d poured himself a healthy amount of scotch, before shifting his gaze back to the couple. They were doing that silent conversation thing again. He would be willing to bet most of the words Lyla and John shared with each other were unspoken. Which was great for them, but made him feel like an unneeded third wheel. “Guys, clue me in here. Please.”

Lyla cleared her throat before she spoke. “I’m concerned with the reasoning behind Waller’s sudden agenda shift.”

“The woman doesn’t strike me as particularly forthcoming on that front,” Tommy quipped, taking a long sip of his drink. Even if he felt like panicking, he knew that it would only add fuel to Lyla’s fire.  So he forced himself to remain outwardly calm; besides, he had two trained agents that were much better at this whole thing than he was.

“Exactly,” Lyla said moving closer. “She’s not giving us reasons, just what she wants done. And she’s moved not only me but also another agent to bringing you in.”

“Why would Waller do that?” Digg asked. Tommy could already seen the protective instinct kicking in for him, his gun hand hovering close to his belt. 

“Perhaps she had an encounter that didn’t sit well with her,” she replied, shooting a pointed look at Tommy.

He knew what the weight of that gaze meant. And as much as he wanted to keep his visit from Waller a secret, clearly he wasn’t going to be able to. “She tell you that?”

“Actually I pieced it together, from flight logs and her sudden priority shift,” she all but yelled as she glared at him. “Damn it Tommy, you should have told us. The reason Johnny is here is to keep you safe, not so you have a pal to spar with in the gym.”

“I know that.”

“Wait Waller was here?” Diggle looked between the two of them, shaking his head when their silence confirmed his questions. “Why in god’s name would you keep that to yourself?”

“She wanted to know where Felicity was,” Tommy said, like that explained any of it. He knew it didn’t. “I don’t know okay. She just wanted to talk.”

“Amanda Waller doesn’t talk to people,  she assesses and looks for a way to exploit them.” Lyla ground her words out like she was trying to get him to see the wrong he’d done. 

But he already knew that. He understood how serious the whole thing was. He may not know exactly what Waller was capable of, but if Maseo and Oliver were any indication, he could infer a lot. So he didn’t need Lyla scolding him like he was a toddler who’d tried to touch the stove. 

“And you don’t think I get that? I was in the room with her okay? I saw exactly what she was trying to do,” Tommy countered shaking his head. “She wanted me to join up so she could use me to get to Oliver and Felicity. And I said no.”

“Which was the exact thing she needed from you. You played into her hand,” Lyla said.

Tommy didn’t quite follow her logic, but who was he to tell the ARGUS agent that she was wrong about her boss.  Tension hung thick in the air, stifling the oxygen from the room.  He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the fact that he’d actually thought he and Diggle were doing well in Monte Carlo.  In fact, Tommy assumed that they had everything under control.  Clearly Lyla disagreed.

“Hey why don’t we all take a beat,” Digg stood between them, trying to dissolve the tension in the room. “Okay we can figure a way out of this, but not by turning on each other.”

“We wouldn’t need a way out if someone hadn’t brought Waller right to us,” Tommy muttered. When he looked at Lyla he regretted his words. “I’m so--”

“If it wasn’t for me, you and Felicity would both already be at ARGUS. I didn’t have to help you two,” she paused taking a seat on the bed. “But I chose to. Because I knew what Waller wanted wasn’t the right way to go.”

He couldn’t argue with that, he didn’t want to anyway. There was so much pressure against them, it was just a waste to fight each other.  Besides, what Lyla had just described was probably treason, something Tommy hadn’t actually considered before.

“You’ve risked a lot to help us. I’m sorry that you go caught up in this,” Tommy said, shuffling in his spot. He turned to John with a nod. “You too.”  He knew how much he owed them both, how much they were risking by helping him. They deserved his complete honesty, even if it was hard as hell for him. 

“Tommy we get it,” Digg said, with a smirk. “It takes guts to go up against that woman and walk out unscathed.”

“I have a giant target painted on my back thanks to a secret government agency? You call that unscathed?”

“Waller’s targeting you now because she sees you as strong, not because you’re weak,” Lyla replied matching John’s grin. “You should take it as a compliment.”

“Ha,” Tommy sighed. “Remind me to send her a thank you note.” He paused, a slow smile creeping onto his face as he thought. 

That was it. That was the way he could keep himself out of Waller’s grasp for a little bit longer, still get things done for the gala, and find Oliver and Felicity. 

“Why do you look like you’re about to do something really stupid?” Diggle groaned.

“Because I just thought of the perfect plan,” he said, taking a long sip of his drink. “I’m going to invite Waller to the gala.”

\---

The ledge of the tub was cold, causing a shiver to ripple through Felicity as she sat on it, her fingers trembling, even several moments later as they covered her lips.  Her mind was reeling from what had just happened, and more than anything, she ached for a friend to talk to about it.  She tried not to think about the fact that she was in Japan, that she was exhausted, and that she’d scarcely found a friendly face in days.

Tommy was gone, Oliver was Jekyll and Hyde most of the time and she just wanted to have a good cry about the whole thing.  But somehow she couldn’t bring herself to.  She wanted to understand Oliver, wanted to put together the shattered pieces, if only to figure him out.  She wanted to be able to help him heal, to show him that it was possible to open up again, to find happiness.

“Like you’ve done since Cooper?” she whispered to herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror over the sink, across from where she sat.  With a heavy sigh, she stood, stripping out of her clothes and pulling on the sweats and tank top she’d been sleeping in since Sofia had donated some clothes to her.  Despite not crying, her face was splotchy and her eyes were bleary; she told herself it was just because she was tired.  What was the alternative, that she’d gotten flushed because Oliver almost kissed her?  The thought was preposterous.

She was sure he’d only done it because he was lonely and she was being nice to him.  After all, he didn’t exactly get a lot of emotionally supportive interactions with women in his line of work.  He would have done the same to Sofia if the words had come from her instead.  Well, maybe not; Felicity was sure Oliver knew better than to make a move on Ivan’s girl.

Once her face had lost the blush, she made her way back into the hotel room, only to find it completely dark, save the light shining in from the split in the curtains on the window.  Gentle snoring filled the room and she looked around, finding three sleeping forms in the cramped room.  So much for actually talking about what happened.

There was a pillow and blanket on the sofa waiting for her and she carefully padded across the floor, making sure not to trip and disturb anyone’s sleep.  Oliver was close to the sofa, much like their sleeping arrangements back in his apartment, and Felicity carefully stepped over him to get onto the couch.

She arranged the pillow and blanket and sank back into the cushions, staring up at the ceiling as she blew out a long, deep breath.  Not that she had any right to once again assume that she knew anything about Oliver, but she did assume things.  She assumed that he wanted to ignore what happened, she assumed that he’d be grumpy in the morning, she assumed that they would silently agree to never mention the near kiss to Tommy.  She forced back a groan.  How would she ever be able to look Tommy in the face again?

Her sleep was restless at best, filled with sparkling blue eyes and dancing shadows and people who looked like thermal imaging scans, and when the light coming through the curtains was bright enough for her to see the whole room, Felicity forced herself to get up.  Sleep or no sleep, they had a reunion to plan.

Oliver was nowhere to be found, so she must have slept at least a little bit, because she never heard him get up.  Either that, or the last three years had given him ghost-like stealth.  Akio and Ivan were still sleeping though, so she made sure to move quietly as she made her way back to her computer.  Stifling a yawn, Felicity ran a hand through her hair; it never ceased to amaze her how it could get so wild when she slept, but she’d spent enough time around Oliver and Akio and even Tommy lately to stop caring too much about what it looked like in the morning.  It wasn’t like she was trying to impress any of them.

The sound of the doorknob rattling caught her off guard and she slid from her seat, reaching for the closest thing at hand, a vase from the table in the entryway, before moving toward the door.

It swung open and Felicity jumped a little, biting back the yelp that threatened to escape, just as Oliver came in, a tray of coffees in his hand.

“I see we should have worked on your stealth tactics once you got the weapon bit figured out,” he said dryly, his eyes barely gliding over her before shutting the door behind himself.  He moved to the table, setting the coffees down.  “What was your plan exactly?”

Felicity set the vase down before following Oliver to the table.  There was a quip on the tip of her tongue, about how her plan wouldn’t be bombarding him in the bathroom doorway if that was what he was asking, but she knew it wouldn’t go over well, so she swallowed it down.  

“Didn’t really have one,” she answered, dropping into the chair beside Oliver.  “One of these is for me, right?” She grabbed a paper to-go cup without waiting for a reply.

She’d already taken a long swig when Oliver answered.

“I figured you could use some fuel this morning,” he said quietly, averting his gaze.

“Thanks.”  Felicity set the cup down, her fingers flying across the keys as she let the caffeine rejuvenate her spirits and refresh her mind.  Whether or not they ever discussed what happened, she knew that this day was about Akio and his parents, not any drama between her and Oliver.  So she forced it out of her mind, pulling up her surveillance from the night before to make sure everything was still good to go.

“So, I was thinking we should walk the route, just to make sure we’re not blindsided by anything,” Felicity said, turning to look at him.  “I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this, but there’s only so much that you can see on a computer screen.”  She paused, taking a breath, her hand going over her heart.  “Woooo, yeah, that definitely pained me a lot more to say that I thought.”

“Felicity.”

“I know, sorry, back to the point.  Even though I’ve done every scan and video vantage point I can possibly think of, you just never know, you know?”

“Felicity.”

“I know what you’re going to say, ‘ _ Felicity, I don’t want you outside.  You’re stuck here now.  Just like back in Moscow. _ ’” She lowered her voice, mocking his, and spoke with a scowl stuck on her face.  “But! Hear me out, because two sets of eyes are better than one.  I look for different things than you do, you know?  And--”

“Felicity!” His voice was low but insistent.

She froze, meeting his eyes, and gulped.  “Yes?”

“I did a perimeter sweep when I got coffee.”

She shook her head, her hair falling between them like a barrier.  “Right, yes, of course you did.  I will just finish this and load everything onto my tablet.”  With a deep breath, she darted her eyes back toward his.

Oliver glanced at his watch.  “I’m going to get the big guy and the kid up and then we’re going to roll out in ten.”

It could have been her mind running on overdrive, but she thought he looked like he wanted to say more, even if he stopped himself.  Oliver stood from the table, grabbing one of the other cups and moving toward where Ivan was asleep on the bed near the window.

“Oliver?” Felicity called quietly, making him pause and turn back toward her.  She couldn’t bring up what happened the night before, but she wanted him to know that she was okay with moving beyond it, so she offered him a smile and raised her cup.  “Thanks for the coffee.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovelies! Happy Monday! Remember to check with us over on Tumblr this coming Wednesday 3/2 at 8EST and send us some asks! We'd love to hear from you over there and if you're lucky, we just might write a missing scene or two from somewhere in the fic up until this point. If you have any requests (or any questions!) pass them along our way. @holysmoaksoliver and @foreverfelicityqueen
> 
> And as always, thank you so much for the love you show us every week. It keeps us excited about this universe we're creating!
> 
> -Cassie

**** Oliver glanced at his watch once more, trying to keep his nerves in check. It had been a long time since he’d seen Tatsu and Maseo, and if he was being honest, he was worried. Worried they’d resent him for taking Akio and running, worried that his friends weren’t as safe as they let on. But even more he was worried about what it would mean when this was all over. What person would he become when he didn’t have Akio to light his way? It was a selfish thought, he knew that. But he couldn’t shake the thought that the second Akio was safe with his family, he’d lose the last thread he had to his humanity.

Things were already starting to unravel. His actions the night before were evidence enough of that. He had almost kissed Felicity, and as much as he was trying to push it to the back of his mind, he couldn’t let go. What would he have done if she hadn’t told him to wait? Would he have stopped at just one kiss? Or would have continued until his darkness had invaded every bit of light Felicity had? 

He couldn’t do that to her. He wouldn’t. No matter what his brain wanted to mix up as feelings. Not that he was feeling things for her. Other than confusion and a lot of aggravation. And maybe a bit of a tug towards a life he thought he’d lost years ago. But that was the type of thing he left for the lulls in between nightmares. The small slice of peace he allowed himself amidst the demons he’d been stock piling. 

No, he couldn’t let those go any further than that. He would get Akio home and then get Felicity back with Tommy, and then he could stop pretending that there might be a way to be the person he used to be. 

He didn’t like that Maeso was late, even if it was just ten past the hour. Late meant something had gone wrong, and Oliver had very few contingencies in place if that were true. He looked over the area again. The lack of foot traffic was good for their meeting, but not so good if the place was going to be under attack by agents.

Oliver tensed, his hand moving to rest on the gun tucked at the back of his pants. 

“I almost didn’t recognize you,” he turned towards the voice. Relaxing enough to give Tatsu a smile. She moved out of the shadows, and Oliver let his hand drop from his weapon. 

“I figured it was time for a haircut,” he said as he moved closer. “I thought Maseo was coming.”

“He’s here,” she said, nodding behind her. Oliver glanced over to see the man in question sitting at a table, newspaper in hand. But his eyes were focused on the two of them. “We thought we should split up, just in case.”

“Yeah.” He got it; after all, he had the same worries, the same fear. That maybe the friendly face he was looking at, was just another wolf in disguise. But he shook his head. He couldn’t think like that right now. Not everyone was out to screw him over. The Yamashiros just wanted their son back. “He’s safe. He’s with a… friend,” Oliver answered the question sitting in her eyes.

Maseo had walked over to them, placing an arm around his wife. Oliver watched how much Tatsu seemed to lean into the touch, and it dug a hole of regret into his chest. Tatsu had always been so strong and fierce. But Oliver had taken a pillar of her strength and run away with it, leaving the woman to hold herself together, even when she didn’t know if her son was alive. 

Oliver signaled to the alley across the way, the closest spot he could find to hide his group from prying eyes. And as Felicity had figured, it was the best spot without direct camera angles. It was easier to keep Waller from tracking their faces that way. 

Both Maseo and Tatsu followed his line of sight as Felicity emerged from the small alcove, Akio by her side. He watched as the boy’s face lit up, his smile growing larger than Oliver ever thought it could get. He took off from Felicity, running towards his parents. But he didn’t have to go far.

Maseo was already at him, lifting Akio into his arms in a tight hug. Tatsu was there too. Running her hands along Akio’s arms, through his hair. She fisted his shirt in her hand, burying her head into his shoulder. Akio shifted from his father’s arms, falling right into his mother’s. 

Oliver couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what it would be like if he ever went home. If all the pain and tragedy of his time away could melt in the instant he was embraced by his own mother? He never thought he wanted that. Not after all the terrible things he’d done over the years. But he did. God, did he want to see his mom again. And Thea. Thea who was so much older and probably so much like he was at her age, if his previous visit to Starling was any indication. 

Felicity had walked over to him, but she was watching the Yamashiros with almost the same bleary eyed look he must have been sporting. “It’s nice.”

He gave her a perplexed look.

“To know that even during a time of chaos and uncertainty, that good things can come from it,” she explained with a shrug. “Sorry. I interrupted your brooding.”

“It’s fine,” he said, turning back to his friends. “I was actually thinking the same thing.”

“You should tell that to your face,” she countered. “Not that I was staring at your face. I just mean, it’s okay to be happy for them. And for yourself.”

He wanted to tell her to drop it, but the last time he was rude to Felicity, it ended in a large mess of complicated mingled breaths, and he wasn’t looking to repeat that. Instead he decided to ignore her. Yeah that sounded like a plan that would work.

Once their reunion had dissolved from tears and clinging hugs, Maseo left his son in his mother’s arms, walking over to Oliver and Felicity.

“There are no words or actions I could ever come up with to repay you for reuniting us with Akio,” he said. But he placed his hand on Oliver’s shoulder anyway, lightly squeezing. “Thank you for watching out for our son.”

Oliver nodded. Because words failed him more often than he’d care to admit. But he still wanted them to know that if given the choice, he’d do it all again. 

Akio had broken away from Tatsu, whispering something to his mother, before he raced forward, launching himself into Oliver. His arms wrapped around the boy with little hesitation. God he was going to miss Akio. 

“Thank you,” the boy said as he pulled back. “You saved me.”

“You saved me too,” Oliver said, ruffling Akio’s hair for the last time. “You three go, be a family.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“Me too,” Oliver whispered as Akio took Maseo’s hand. 

Maseo looked between Oliver and Felicity with a sigh. “Waller is still after you. She’s not likely to stop.”

“Don’t worry about ARGUS anymore,” Felicity said with a smile. “Just take care of your family and be happy.”

“Thank you both. And thank your other friend for us as well.” He smiled down at Akio, pulling him off towards Tatsu.

They watched the family go. Oliver didn’t want to leave until he was sure they were really safe, even if he knew he couldn’t ever guarantee that. But he wasn’t ready to let go either. He wasn’t ready to be shrouded in the darkness again, no light to help him see which way to go.

He felt Felicity step closer to him, hovering just far enough away so they weren’t touching. It was better that way. Everything he touched he lost. 

“Did you see their faces?” she asked. And he could hear a bit of sadness in her voice. But it also mixed with something that sounded so strange to him. Almost like hope? “Those were the faces of three people who will always see you as their hero. You should be proud of that.”

He didn’t want to tell her she was wrong. But he knew the truth. Oliver Queen was no hero. He’d lost the right to ever be. He was something cold and bleak in the darkness. And there was no way to ever leave that behind.

\---

When Tommy and Oliver were twelve years old, they found a hornets nest in the backyard of the Merlyn estate.  Tommy vividly remembered his father being on a trip halfway around the globe and his nanny being wrapped up in something in the house.  Being young and not the brightest kid on the block, Tommy thought it would be great to turn the thing into a pinata.  He found a stick long enough to put a couple of feet of distance between the nest and him and Ollie, before taking a single swing at it, knocking it to the ground.

It took a long moment before anything happened, during which time, Tommy was slightly let down, thinking the nest was empty.  But when the buzzing sound finally met their ears, he and Oliver barely had time to turn and scream like little girls before running back to the house, the swarm of hornets following them the whole way.

He was sure it was luck that had kept them from being stung more than they were that day.  And even then, Raisa came and picked Ollie up soon after- taking him to the hospital for the stings.

Back then, major consequences were being pumped full of Benedryl and missing school for a couple days.  Back then, ‘in trouble’ meant they couldn’t hang out together because one of them was grounded.

Tommy knew that his plan of bringing Waller to the gala was somewhat akin to turning a hornet’s nest into a pinata, and he knew that the consequences this time would be far more life threatening.  But he also knew that meeting with Waller on his own terms was going to be their best shot at getting her off their backs for good.  And if Tommy had to be the one to bear the brunt of the consequences this time, he would willingly take it-- for Ollie, for Felicity, to keep his friends safe.  It was the least he could do.

“This has got to be the worst idea I’ve ever heard in my life,” Lyla said, perched in a chair beside Tommy’s in his makeshift office in Monte Carlo.

“It’s not the first time I’ve said that the last few weeks,” Diggle chimed in.

Tommy’s eyes narrowed, first in her direction, than in Diggle’s.  “I’ve followed you two, mostly blindly, since we left Paris,” he sighed.  “Please, just trust me with this.”

His hand was already poised over the enter key on the computer.  One click and his invites-- both electronic and paper-- would be shipped around the world.  Everyone at MG would get a notification of the upcoming gala, which meant Felicity would know that he’d be back in Moscow in just a few short days.  And then maybe he would breathe just a little easier.

The intercom buzzer on his phone pulled all of their attention.

“Mr. Merlyn?” A voice chirped, staticy but upbeat, through the intercom.

“Yes,” Tommy answered.  It wasn’t often that he was interrupted by Lydia, the assistant that had been assigned to him since he’d ‘pitched’ the idea to his father about the gala.

“I’ve got a phone call holding for you on line two.  Says she’s an old friend of yours.”

Tommy’s brow furrowed.  Surely Felicity wouldn’t be careless enough to call him at the office.  Besides, that would mean she would have had to track him down first.

“It’s a… Laurel Lance?” Lydia clarified.

Tommy cleared his throat.  “Thanks, I’ll take it.”  They had talked a few days ago when he needed legal advice on how to deal with his father, but he hadn’t remembered telling Laurel that he was out of the country.  Then again, his head had been so messed up lately, who knew what he’d said.

“Laurel, hey, how’s it going?”

“How’s it going?” she repeated.  “Well Tommy, when you called me a few days ago, you neglected to mention that you were taking our conversation to your father, or that you called me your ‘legal team’ to Malcolm Merlyn.”

“I… how… did he call you?”

“He did,” she said, clearly angry.  “And he told me that you were in Monte Carlo and that you’re planning some gala in memory of Ollie in Russia.  I swear, Tommy, if you’re spiraling back down into some--”

Tommy smirked.  “You’re worried about me?” he asked, taking the only opportunity to interject that he thought he might get.  “That’s very sweet, Laurel, but this isn’t about me spiraling into anything.”

“It’s not…” her words were both statement and question.

“No,” he scoffed, needing anything to throw her off the scent of what he was really doing.  He couldn’t let another person that he cared about get involved in this mess, not when it was already getting so out of control with Waller and Lyla and Diggle.  “My dad needed some charity PR stunt and I needed a reason to party with some friends in Moscow.”

There was a long sigh on the other end.  “Tommy…”

“I tell you what,” he said, switching the phone to his other ear and leaning back in his chair.  “I should be back in Starling by the end of next week.  What d’ya say you and I get that dinner you owe me?”

“I owe you?” Laurel scoffed.

“Well, I wouldn’t have phrased it quite that way, Laurel.  But if you insist.”

There was another sigh on the other end, but he knew he’d worn her down.  “Fine, Tommy.  As long as you promise that you aren’t--”

“How about that new Italian place on Madison?”  He wanted to be able to tell her everything, that he’d found Oliver, that he was bringing him back to Starling, that he was finally going to be able to sleep at night, knowing that he’d fixed the one thing that had been broken for years.  But Tommy couldn’t put her at risk, he couldn’t let another person he cared about get mixed up in this whole mess.

“I love Italian,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Great, I’ll call you when I’m back.”  There was a click on the other end and Tommy dropped the phone back onto the receiver with a sigh.  And then he switched gears again and met Diggle’s eyes.  “I’ve got basically everything on the list.  I think all we need is a booze supplier, which let’s be honest, shouldn’t be hard since we’ll be in Russia and boy do they like their vodka.  Other than that, all that’s left is to press send, so if you two don’t mind...” Tommy’s brow furrowed.  “What?”

“You sounded an awful lot like Felicity just then…” Diggle said, trying to hide a smirk.

Tommy pointed at the other man.  “Don’t ever say that again.”

Lyla smirked, while Diggle held his hands up in defense, but neither said another word.

The buzzer on the phone sounded again.  “Mr. Merlyn, your 3 o’clock meeting is here.  A Dr. Markov from Unidac Industries is waiting in the executive lobby.”

Tommy frowned.  “Do you know what it’s about, Lydia?”

There was silence on the other end.  And then, “Sorry sir.  Wrong Mr. Merlyn.”

The name didn’t ring a bell, but Tommy thought he’d heard of Unidac before.  Although he had always thought the company was in Starling.  It was strange to think that anyone would travel all the way to Monte Carlo from back home just for a meeting with his father.  Then again, Malcolm Merlyn could get anyone to do just about anything for him with the right motivation, and Tommy wouldn’t put it past his father to pull something like that.

Even still, Tommy had bigger things to worry about than being mistakenly called down for a meeting.  With one final deep breath, he hit  _ Enter _ on the keyboard, sending out the invitations to the gala.

\---

Felicity had stayed up half the night trying to find the right thing to say to Oliver. Which was a new feeling for her. She rarely ever took such care picking out the words she was going to say. But she felt like she had to be careful. Like one wrong phrase and Oliver would slip back into the shadows. And she didn’t want that. 

Sure he was brash and infuriating, but in the short time they’d know each other Felicity had learned exactly why Tommy was so fixated on getting his best friend back.  Despite the things Oliver had been through, bringing pain and darkness into his life, there was another part of him-- buried but still finding its way to the surface-- that was kind and selfless. He was the kind of person who made an impression on your life whether you wanted it or not. And she needed to bring him home.

Not for her. But for Tommy, and for Oliver’s family. And hell even for Oliver himself. She could see how much damage hid behind his blue eyes. He needed someone to remind him that he was more than the things he’d done to survive. That all that pain and heartbreak were not everything he was. 

“Felicity!” She jumped at the sound of his voice, clutching her hand to her chest. He gave her a confused look.

He was standing in front of her. Well not in front of her really. He was standing in front of the bed, packing, while she was sitting on the bed, thinking. But he was still closer than she thought he needed to be for that particular reason. 

“Hmm?” She pursed her lips together, trying to bite down most of her added commentary. “What did you say?”

“Ivan’s gonna be back any minute,” he repeated, still eying her. “So if you need to gather the rest of your stuff, I suggest doing it now. We’re leaving shortly.”

Felicity looked around the hotel room. She’d packed most of her things when they had returned the night before. So there was a good chance she was already ready to go. Until her eyes landed on her tablet on the bedside table. Before thinking she lunged to reach it. It was a terrible angle and the second she’d stretched too far she lost the little balance she had. She was sure she was going to tumble right off the bed. 

Instead of falling to the floor though, she was now caged to Oliver’s chest. One of his arms under her knees, while the other wrapped around her back.

“Cat like reflexes you have there,” she managed to stammer out. He gave her a faint nod, as his gaze remained locked on her. They were really close. Actually the only other time she’d been this lost to him was the other night, in the doorway. 

Like his mind had followed her train of thought, Oliver set her down quickly, stepping out of her space. He turned back to his bag. “You should really be more careful. We don’t exactly have time for you to need an ER visit for stitches.”

And there he was back to being an insensitive jerk. God he could be so infuriating sometimes. She grabbed her tablet, making sure to make the process as loud as possible, before shuffling behind him and sticking her tongue out for good measure. Even if it was slightly childish. There was just something about the man that just brought it out this impulse in her. And she was too tired to fight it.

Before putting the tablet up, and double checking that she did in fact pack everything, Felicity fired up her baby. She hadn’t checked her email in a couple of weeks, and she almost cringed thinking about how many could possibly be sitting in her inbox.

Normally it would be risky to check her email on something as unsecure as her tablet. But Felicity had modified it enough over the last month, she felt comfortable enough to use it for short spurts. Besides she was now nestled right in the middle of the Russian mob, surely Waller would think twice before coming after them. 

When did her life become such a telenovela? Seriously. Bad guys shooting at her? Yep. The literal mob? Big yes. Two gorgeous billionaires, who for reasons outside her control had both become way too important to her? Yes and yes. She groaned squeezing her eyes shut. 

“You okay?” Oliver asked. 

She sat up straighter, thrown a little by his back and forth concern. But she nodded in reply, focusing back on her screen. That’s when the name caught her eye. Nestled there between spam for spray tans and Amazon letting her know that the new season of her favorite shows were now on sale, sat an email from Tommy. Her heart surged, happier than she probably should be about him sending her an email. They had a system. One that was in place so he wouldn’t do something as reckless as direct contact. But still, seeing his name gave her a comforting feeling. Like when you wrapped a warm blanket around you after the room drops in temperature. She missed him.

Clicking on the icon, the message took a second to load. When it did, she was confused to say the least. Because it wasn’t an email Tommy would normally send to her. No jokes, no obscure movie reference. What it did have was an elegantly designed invite or well e-vite? To a fundraising gala. Felicity was almost certain she’d received the message in error, until she read more.  _ Tommy. _ Brilliant, crazy, Tommy. He’d found a way for them to reunite without leading Waller directly to either of them, in the last place he’d known her to be.

“You sure you’re alright?” She looked up to find Oliver standing directly in front of her, brow knit together quizzically.

She couldn’t imagine the kind of expression she wore. And she knew that there had to be tears welling in the corners of her eyes, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t care what she looked liked when she knew they would finally reunite with Tommy and be able to put this mess behind them.

Felicity turned her screen to him, so he could read the invite. She couldn’t help watching Oliver as he took the words in. And maybe she was crazy, but she could swear that a quiet smile graced his lips for a few seconds too.

“Any excuse to throw a party,” Oliver said, but she suspected the words weren’t meant for her.

Still she couldn’t help but comment. “I think it’s more of an excuse to see you.”

“He’d be better off if he didn’t.” He handed the device back, before walking off again. 

Felicity shut it down, packing it into the side of her bag. “I think if you care about Tommy at all, you’ll let him make that call.”

He wanted to reply, she could see it in his eyes, but when he opened his mouth, the door to the room creaked open. Ivan walked in carrying a tray of coffees. And Felicity wasted no time in standing. She grabbed her bag, then took a drink from the man, offering him a thank you. 

“We should head out,” Oliver said, motioning for Ivan to grab the other bags, as he took his own coffee. “We need to get back.”

Felicity couldn’t help but dwell on the missing word at the end of his sentence. How home must have been such a foreign place to Oliver. That even if he stayed in Russia, refusing to return to Starling with them, that he’d still never consider the city his home. She wished there was a way to convince him he still had a place to go. Although she didn’t think she could, maybe Tommy would stand a better chance. 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dears-  
> And we're back with another awesome chapter. Well I think it's awesome so hopefully you do too. We are moving into some good stuff here. And I can't wait for you to read it. So I won't. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.
> 
> xoxo  
> Kayla

It took longer for Oliver to settle back into a routine than he’d ever care to admit.  Partially because his head was still with the Yamashiro family in Tokyo, and partially because he still had no idea how he was going to tell Tommy that even after all the time he’d spent to find Oliver, Oliver had no plans of returning to Starling with them.

So three days after they’d returned to Moscow, Oliver found himself asleep on the couch a half hour after he was supposed to switch shifts with Yury in watching Sofia.  He barely had time to register being shaken awake before he went into panic mode, nearly knocking Felicity to the floor as he prepared himself for battle.

“Hey! Watch it!” she exclaimed, jumping backwards, just out of his grasp.  “I’m just trying to wake you up because there are two very large men at the door.”

His shot up at that, eyes hard on her.  “I thought I told you not to open--”

A pounding sounded at the door.  

“I didn’t,” she said quietly.  “I saw them come up the stairs.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed.  He wanted to ask how she could have possibly seen them--

“I may have fixed the security cameras in the hallways and outside the door yesterday while you were at work, then tapped into the network using my encryption code,” she said with a shrug, answering his question before he’d even asked.  “I was bored and I figured it would be a good precaution.”

Oliver pushed himself to his feet, and strode to the door, unlocking and opening it in one swift movement.

“What?” he growled.

“You are late,” Yury gruffed back.  “Anatoly said you must see him first before picking up Sofia.”

Oliver sighed, rubbing at his temples.  “Give me a minute to get dressed?” he asked, attempting to push the door closed on them.

Yury’s foot caught the door before it could shut all the way.  “We wait inside,” he demanded.  “With your friend.”

Oliver glanced over his shoulder, watching as Felicity shrank back into the doorway of the kitchen, barely peeking her head out at the men.  He was a bit surprised by her reaction to them, considering she’d been so fearless with Anatoly and Mikhail.  Yury and Lev wouldn’t do anything without the instruction of their bosses.  Pulling the door back open, Oliver turned and stalked into the bedroom, pulling Felicity by the arm along with him.  He closed the door, separating them from his Bratva counterparts.

“What do you think they want with me?” Felicity asked in a harsh whisper.

“Probably just to make you uncomfortable and say nasty things about you in Russian,” Oliver said, stripping off his shirt as he moved to the dresser.  He glanced at her through the mirror above the dresser, her nose wrinkling in disgust and her eyes downcast on her hands that she was wringing uncomfortably.  He hadn’t thought twice about the action, but he could feel her presence acutely now.  She turned her back as he dropped his sweatpants and stepped into a pair of jeans.  Oliver grabbed a new shirt, pulling it on over his head before turning back to face her.  “Just a few more days and you won’t have to worry about any of this anymore.”

At his comment, Felicity turned toward him.  She had her bottom lip in her mouth again, biting down on it, even as she darted a look up to meet his eyes.  “And you?”  her voice was quiet, hesitant.

Oliver cleared his throat.  “I need to get going,” he said dismissively.  He wasn’t even ready to think about what he was going to do now that Akio was back home, he certainly wasn’t going to talk about it with Felicity.  He opened the door to the bedroom, moving back through the small apartment to where Yury and Lev were waiting for him.  They both looked past him at Felicity and with a shake of his head Oliver brushed by them to open the door.

“She is the girl from--” Lev began, but Oliver pushed him out the door.

“No she’s not,” he answered quickly, glancing back at Felicity.  A smile spread across her face and blush crept into her cheeks and he exhaled a little more fully.  He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

“Don’t leave the apartment,” she sighed.  “I know.”

Oliver closed the door behind himself, smiling a little halfway down the hallway when he heard the click of the deadbolt to lock the door.  Felicity was a quick study, he had to give her that.

Oliver zipped his jacket up once they were outside.  Yury and Lev flanked him, making Oliver feel a little more like a prisoner than a Bratva captain.  Instead of the Knyazev estate, the men guided him to the training facility, where the vast majority of the brothers he’d met were training.  There were only a couple he didn’t recognize.

“Oliver,” Anatoly’s voice called from the corner of the room, moving toward them with a smile.  “I was beginning to wonder if you’d paid Ivan to tell me that you came back when really you didn’t.”

Oliver cleared his throat, shaking his head.  “Just overslept,” he said, meeting the man’s eyes.

“Good,” Anatoly said with a wide smile.  “Very good.”

Another man joined them, if he could be called a man, considering Oliver came to just above the man’s shoulders and he appeared to be about twice as wide as Oliver was.  He found himself taking a step backwards to give the man a wider berth.

“This is Vlad,” Anatoly explained.  “Ivan’s brother.  He has been away on business for me for the last year.  He has only just returned and I thought you should meet.”

Oliver nodded, inwardly cringing when Vlad extended his hand to shake.  The man’s grip was a vise on Oliver’s hand and he might have been imagining it, but he was pretty sure he heard bones crunching in the man’s grip.

“As is custom when a brother returns, he is introduced to everyone on the mats,” Anatoly said.  “And since you are now captain, we start with you.”

He hadn’t noticed it before, but the other men in the room were watching, hovering around the perimeter of the room.  Some of them were cowering, but most looked on in interest, as if to study the movements of their would-be opponent for shortcomings, of which Oliver was sure Vlad had few.

Oliver peeled off his jacket, tossing it to Lev, before stepping into the ring on the floor.  He could feel Anatoly’s eyes on him, so he forced any feelings of self-doubt from his mind and locked eyes with his opponent.  With Akio now gone, he had to find a new reason for pressing on, something to stay alive for.  Unfortunately for Oliver, he hadn’t figured out exactly what that was going to be yet.

But fortunately for him, he didn’t need much convincing.

Without a word, Vlad lunged toward him, and Oliver’s survival instincts kicked in.  He dodged, jumping out of the way.  Vlad might be as big as a tanker and twice as strong as Oliver was, but being that big made the man slow.  And Oliver would use whatever leverage he had to his advantage.

“I had my men look into your girl while you were away,” Anatoly said, pulling Oliver’s focus, forcing him to concentrate on something other than the enormously sized hands that were reaching for his throat.  “Felicity, I believe is her name.” 

Oliver darted a glance to the man, finding that Anatoly was quite at ease, his tone almost leisurely as he spoke.

“You did what?” Oliver asked, swooping to miss a fist to the jaw, and then jumping out of the way as Vlad doubled back.

“It seems she knows a friend of yours.  She’s from your home town in fact.”

Oliver didn’t know where this was going, where any of it was going, but he didn’t like it.  Was the sparring match a way to throw him off his game?  To keep him from lying to Anatoly?

“In the whole time I’ve known you, Anatoly, I’ve never lied to you,” he said, just to be on the safe side.

“You have hidden your fair share of facts,” the man answered.

Vlad closed in on him and Oliver dove to the left, tucking and rolling onto his back before kicking himself back up onto his feet.  At this point he’d be lucky if he managed to win by tiring Vlad out.  He wasn’t sure what other leverage he might get on someone like that.

“I’ve told you what was necessary,” Oliver said.  He wasn’t sure this was a conversation they should be having in front of everyone in the brotherhood, but it seemed he had little choice in the matter.

Vlad caught Oliver’s arm, easily pulling him into a choke hold.

“We never discussed your plans for once the boy was returned home safely,” Anatoly said, his voice still nonchalant.  “I also never thought you would come as far as you have, Oliver.”

If by that, Anatoly meant getting the life slowly squeezed out of him by anaconda arms, then neither did Oliver.  He threw his head back with all the force he could muster, but Vlad was too tall and what was meant to be skull connecting with skull ended up just smacking the man in the shoulder.

His vision began to fade and his insides burned from lack of oxygen, but Oliver fought against the darkness with every ounce of strength he had.  Finally, with a nod from Anatoly, Vlad released Oliver, dropping him to the ground like a discarded toy, leaving Oliver gasping for breath.

Anatoly crouched down, putting a hand on his shoulder.  “You have done well, Oliver,” he said quietly.  “And there will always be a place for you here.  But your protection does not extend to the girl.  If you stay, she must leave quietly and never return.”

The words barely registered in his head as he sputtered for air, coughing and wheezing despite the searing pain in his throat.

“You have three days to decide,” Anatoly said, and then stood and walked away.

\---

Tommy was about ready to pull his hair out by it’s roots. He really should have figured that planning a party as large as the gala was expected to be, while being nearly two thousand miles away, was not going to be an easy feat. Especially since his father seemed to have one inane task after another for him to complete before he left for Moscow that afternoon. Tommy was starting to feel like Cinderella, when her wicked stepmother kept piling on chores so she couldn’t go to the ball. 

If it had been anyone else’s father, he would have sensed concern paired with the actions. But Malcolm’s plays were never that nuanced. His father just wanted Tommy to keep the Merlyn name untarnished and in good standing, with as little involvement from the elder Merlyn as possible. And for years Tommy yearned for more. But not anymore, not when his father’s distance was the best for him to get the things he needed done. 

“There you are,” Lyla said when he entered the office. She was sitting at his desk, but he could see the nervous tension charged in her eyes. Like she was ready to go at any moment. “You said you’d be back before eleven.”

“Lyla it’s literally five after,” he noted setting the stack of files on his desk. “And I need to keep up appearances around here. If my father knew what was going on, things would be worse.”

“Maybe you should tell him,” she replied glancing out the window. “If someone like Malcolm Merlyn was onto Waller, and what she’s up to, maybe it would keep you and your friends safe.”

He shook his head. It’s not that he hadn’t thought about it, even if it had been for the shortest of time. Maybe the way to get Waller to back off was to expose her secrets to the world, but Tommy doubted his father was the right vessel for that type of plan. He didn’t want to say anything to Lyla, but Tommy didn’t trust Malcolm, not really, and when it came to Oliver and Felicity he needed to trust the people in his corner. 

“This isn’t a playground bully, who stole my lunch money,” he said, keeping a smile on his face. He’d learned a while ago that even if he felt like things were growing worse, he had to keep his spirits up anyway. “I’m not running to my dad.”

“I was being serious,” she pressed but pushed herself out of his seat so he could get to his computer. “Waller isn’t backing down, but she’s also not pressing forward. She hasn’t called once to check in on my progress. And I don’t like it. Who knows what’s going on in her head right now.”

“You could always head back in and do some sleuthing,” he glanced up from his list. “I mean what’s the point in having an actual spy on the team if she’s not actually spying.”

“Well for one I’m keeping a bullet out of your head,” she retorted, leaning herself against the edge of the desk. “You’re the one who sent Johnny ahead to work with security for the gala. Which was stupid, by the way.”

“I need that place to be secure from any and all threats.”

“Because you invited the threat Tommy.” She whipped her head around, letting out a frustrated groan. “Look I get that you’re doing most of this off instinct, and I applaud the fact that you haven’t gotten yourself killed or captured up until now. But you can’t run on this kind of luck forever. Sooner or later we are going to need a real plan against Waller. Because she’s not going to back off of you or your friends without reason.” 

“I know that!” He hadn’t meant for his voice to raise like that. But Lyla didn’t seem the least bit phased. “Sorry. You’re trying to help, and I appreciate that.”

“I don’t need your apologies. What I need is for you to grasp that poking at the bear is only going to distract it until it decides to bite back. And Waller will bite back.”

“So we come up with something to offer her in exchange for our lives,” Tommy suggested. “Something more important to her than a handful of assets. Any idea what that could be?”

“Do I look like I own a crystal ball?” she joked.

“No,” Tommy smiled, shaking his head. “But you’re the one who’s spent the most time around her. What was she like when you met her? Maybe it will give us some clue into at least a path we could look down for leverage.”

Lyla was quiet for a minute. Tommy could just see the profile of her face, but he could already see the storms gathering in Lyla’s eyes. 

“It was a few years ago, Johnny and I just got released from active duty. We were gonna settle down somewhere. Nice house, picket fence type thing,” she cleared her throat, and Tommy felt the urge to look away, to let her have her minute. But she continued. “Anyway, I did not adjust to civilian life easily. Johnny used to say I had this look like I was always itching for a fight. It almost split us up too. That’s when Waller stepped in. She told me she ran an organization that could benefit from my expertise. ARGUS was like godsend in a time when I felt at my weakest. 

“She was getting a group together, project Checkmate, it was supposed to bring together the best of the best. To do some good in the world. About a year and a half after Checkmate was established, it fell apart. Waller claimed it was lack of funding. And after that I was sent to work primarily out of Belgrave with Waller. But she would take long sabbaticals,” Lyla paused taking a deep breath. “I never asked her where she went. And then last year she told me something had come up and she was moving to headquarters in Hong Kong, but she needed me to stay on in Belgrave.”

“She didn’t tell you why she was going to Hong Kong?” Tommy asked. 

“Amanda Waller only divulges information on a need to know basis. I guess I didn’t need to know.”

He nodded in response. Sure maybe he had only had one conversation with the woman, but that was enough to make him feel confident in the statement. “Any chance that her shutting down Checkmate was for something other than saving unsuspecting taxpayers millions?”

“Maybe,” Lyla sighed, like she was thinking. “There could be something to that. If we could get into her files, we could find something useful.”

“See,” Tommy was smiling again as he looked down at his list. Trying to remember if he had called the caterers or not. “Teamwork is always better than going it alone.”

“Except I don’t have the skills to break into Waller’s files,” she said, leveling him with a look. “And I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you don’t either.”

“No but Felicity does.”

“Felicity’s not here.”

He leaned back in his chair, feeling the pull of his muscles as he did so. “Trust me I’m aware. All we have to do is get back to Moscow, reunite with Felicity. Get her near Waller’s computer, and then we can get the files.”

“You want to train a dragon to tap dance while we’re at it?” she quipped with an eye roll. “I mean since we are making a list of impossible goals.”

“Being a pessimist doesn’t look good on anyone Lyla.”

“No, but being a realist keeps you alive.”

Tommy was about to reply before his intercom cracked on. “Mr. Merlyn, your car is here to take you to the airport.”

He pressed the button with a smile. “Thank you. Let them know I’ll be right down.”

He gathered up his papers, shoving them in his briefcase. He looked up with a grin to Lyla. “We can continue this argument on the plane ride. I’m sure that will be fun.”

Lyla huffed out a breath, but instead of replying she grabbed her bag from the floor and followed him out. Next stop Moscow. He just hoped it went better than his last short visit.

\---

Despite being stuck in the apartment, Felicity had plenty to occupy her time.  She still had a number of work emails to respond to, now that she’d built her own secure network that was patched into the office building that was next door to Oliver’s building.  Plus she’d been monitoring security data around Moscow for not only herself and Oliver in order to scrub it, but also for Tommy.  She was eager to see him again, to get them all back together, their singular goal since setting out a few weeks earlier.

The one thing she required, the only thing really, was a steady stream of coffee.  Without it she was dead in the water.  More literally than figuratively, sadly.  And although Oliver had stocked up when they’d returned, Felicity’s caffeine consumption since starting this world trek had increased exponentially.  So when she stood from her computer a few hours after Oliver left, in order to feed her addiction, she was beyond appalled to find the canister of coffee beans empty.

She searched the cupboards for another, but to no avail.

“I need coffee,” she scoffed, dropping the empty canister into the garbage can.  “Without coffee I stop doing the coding and the working and the sentence putting into words doing.” She recoiled at herself, a bit mortified.  “It’s happening already.  Because of course babbling Felicity knows that words make sentences and not the other way around.  And now I apparently no longer even require another person to babble to.”  

She sighed.  Oliver wouldn’t be back for hours and at this rate she’d never get everything done that still needed to be done.  Even from afar, she was trying to help Tommy, to check out the security of the embassy, to make sure ARGUS wasn’t too close on their trail, to keep on top of when important people arrived back in Moscow.

People like Tommy.  It was easier for her to focus her attention on things to come, rather than fretting about things between her and Oliver. No, she wouldn’t even allow herself to dwell on it, not yet. There were three more flights coming into Moscow from Monte Carlo whose passenger manifests needed to be looked into along with countless private aircrafts arriving every day.  She assumed that Tommy would do something to give her a sign, but with ARGUS after them, maybe it wasn’t possible.

“Three days,” she sighed to herself.  “You can manage through three more days.”  Although making it three days was contingent one one very important factor.  Before she could talk herself out of it, Felicity had linked the live feed of the cameras in the apartment building to her tablet and pulled on her coat and shoes.  She needed coffee, badly.

Besides, it wasn’t like Oliver was going to find out about one little trip to the coffee shop.  It was only half a block from his apartment and she’d be back before he was.  She could keep an eye on the cameras from her tablet while she was gone.

She slipped from the apartment, grabbing the spare key from the bowl in the entryway on her way out and made her way down the street, blending into the crowd, keeping her head down.  Pushing into the cafe, the smell of coffee met her like a warm hug, diminishing the memories of her last time in the same place.  It hadn’t been that long ago that she’d walked in, needing to clear her head after learning the truth about what ARGUS wanted from her and the lengths they were willing to go to get it.  It seemed crazy to her that after all the searching she and Tommy had done, she’d met Oliver on a whim, that he’d saved her from the people they were both running from.

Her mind was wrapped up in thoughts of what Tommy might be planning as she picked up her coffee cup from the barista and found a seat near the back of the cafe.  She couldn’t imagine what he was attempting to do at the gala, especially when he was being so open about it.  Waller was bound to know by now, and if that was Tommy’s plan all along, then Felicity really wished she could contact him to find out more.  She knew Tommy well enough to be afraid of his plans.

“Mind if I join you?” a voice asked.

Felicity’s attention was pulled from swirling her spoon around her coffee cup.  She glanced up, finding a woman in pantsuit, her dark hair pulled back into a severe bun and a bit of a scowl on her face.

If swearing under her breath would have done any good, Felicity would have done it.  But as it was, she knew that there was no way out this time.

“Amanda Waller,” she said coolly, gesturing to the chair opposite her.  “I guess I should have expected this at some point.”  And then realization hit her.  The woman she’d spoken to in the temple back in Hong Kong, the one that had made her feel so ill-at-ease, that disappeared without a trace, and Felicity’s stomach bottomed out.

“You are a rather difficult woman to track down,” Waller said, demurely taking a seat across from Felicity.  “At least without any protection that is.  I want to thank you for connecting those cameras in Mr. Queen’s apartment building, it’s the only way we found out where the two of you were staying.”

Felicity dropped her spoon, glaring at the woman.  “How did you...?”

“We just reverse-engineered some of the code you wrote to find him in the first place.  Quite genius, really, using our satellites like that.  We never would have been able to do it on our own, but my techs found your code and well, I simply couldn’t resist putting it into use.”

Felicity seethed.  She couldn’t imagine how she hadn’t covered her tracks well enough, especially this late in the game.  “You’re lying,” she said, hands gripping the top of the table.  She had no way of knowing what Waller was there for.  To finally bring her in?  To goad her into admitting something or making a misstep?  To offer her that job after all?

“Well that’s something you’ll never know, I’m afraid,” Waller said with a stern look.  “It’s classified.”

“As much as I’ve enjoyed this little chat,” Felicity said, clearing her throat and pushing away from the table.  “I really should be going.”  Her chair connected with something behind her, and with one glance, Felicity found a large wall of a man in a dark suit standing there, blocking her from leaving.  “Or maybe I can stay a little while longer,” she said, biting her lower lip.

“I think that’s the best option,” Waller said.  “Especially when you hear my offer.”  She motioned for the man behind Felicity to go.  “Give us some privacy.”

It was a long moment before the door chimed as it closed, and when Felicity glanced over her shoulder, she realized it was because the man had cleared everyone else from the cafe before leaving himself.

“I don’t want anything to do with your offer,” Felicity answered, picking up her tablet.  “Because you see, with just a few strokes of my keyboard I can effectively unmask every single one of your agents around the globe.”  For as much as Felicity knew about computers, she’d learned the art of misdirection from Tommy.  And while Amanda Waller didn’t make much of an effort to move, Felicity could see the fear in the other woman’s eye.  “Now you might think this is a little extreme, but I promise you I won’t even break a sweat.”

Instead of doing what she’d threatened, she sent a message to Oliver.  _ 1st meet.  Cafe.  Waller.  _ Felicity just hoped he would make it in time.   She switched screens quickly to a global map of US embassies.  She’d pulled it up earlier, when she was trying to figure out what Tommy was up to, but it had enough dots scattered across it to be convincing.

“You say one thing I don’t like and your reign of terror comes to a swift and probably ugly end,” Felicity said triumphantly.

“It appears that you have everything figured out, Miss Smoak,” Waller said, and Felicity would be lying if she said the woman didn’t appear at least a little impressed.  “But what I think you fail to realize is that one, what you just described to me would be considered treason against the United States of America, somewhere I’m assuming you would like to return to after this is all over.  And two, one of those agents is currently with your boyfriend, so exposing her would also be exposing him.”

“Tommy isn’t my--” Felicity began, and then paused, taking a deep breath.  “Maybe you should just tell me why you’re here so I can politely decline and we can all go back to our regularly scheduled afternoons.”

“I’d like to fly you and Mr. Merlyn back to Starling, set you up in an office with computers more powerful than you can imagine.  And all I need from you is the occasional favor and complete abandonment of Mr. Queen.”

“What?” Felicity asked indignantly.  “No.  I can’t do that.  Oliver is… he’s Tommy’s best friend.  He’s the whole reason we’re here.”

“Just tell Tommy that you two were separated, no one has to be the wiser.”

“I think I would be the wiser,” his voice came from behind Waller before Felicity saw him.  And then Oliver came into view, eyes wild, skin nearly vibrating with anger.  His quiver was slung over his back and his bow had an arrow nocked and ready to fly.

“Mr. Queen,” Waller deadpanned.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! We had lots of reactions last chapter about Waller. Well we are happy to announce that the snowball is picking up speed in this downhill crashcourse to the end. Thanks again for all your feedback. We hope you enjoy what we've got in store.
> 
> xoxo  
> Cassie

Oliver kept his grip firm and steady, even if every fiber of his being shouted at him to end things. Amanda didn’t deserve the restraint he was showing, but he knew better still. There was no way he and Felicity would make it out of the cafe alive he if killed the head of ARGUS.

“You should probably leave now,” he gritted out, chancing a glance to Felicity. The blonde seemed to find his eyes in seconds, sending him a weak smile. “You okay?”

She nodded, as Waller turned in her seat to face him. “It’s so intriguing that you still feel compelled to care for people, especially after the things you’ve done. Does she have any idea of the amount of blood on your hands?”

“Stop acting like you’ve won,” he replied, dropping the bow slightly. “I know you better than that.”

“Then you know that I always get what I want,” she countered, flicking invisible dust from her sleeve.

“Like Maseo?” 

Oliver watched Waller carefully, his words sinking the desired effect in the woman. “Mr. Yamashiro was weak. He thought family was more important than his duty to ARGUS. I won’t miss his involvement with future projects. But you on the other hand. You’re still an asset I’d like to protect, Mr. Queen.”

“Protect? That’s what you call it?”

“Did I not rescue you from that desolate island?” she spoke with a tone of caring. On anyone else it would sound kind, but in Waller’s voice it twisted into something sinister. “Did I not give you a safe place to use your talents for the good of others? You seem so compelled to paint me as the villain, but at the same time you leave out details of our time together.”

Oliver felt bile rise in his stomach, as he feared Waller’s words would continue into more detail. She wanted to twist the things he’d done under her control. To turn them into things he wanted, but he couldn’t let her continue.

“Felicity,” his voice was rough and he was trying harder than he was used to, to keep his emotions in check. “Step away from the table.”

She did as he asked, grabbing her tablet while she moved to stand next to him. He wanted to tell her to step back, to get behind him, but he felt a strange surge of strength from her being beside him. And given their adversary, he didn’t want to lose even the smallest advantage. 

“If you think I would do anything to harm such an extraordinary mind as Miss Smoak’s, you clearly misjudged the intent of ARGUS, Mr. Queen,” Waller said giving him a smile. “I would never dream of depriving the world of her brilliance.” 

“That would feel more like a compliment if it came from literally anyone else,” Felicity said as she took a shaky breath. “Guess it’s telling to know some people aren’t expendable to you.”

Waller let out a huff, that Oliver could only equate to laughter, before she continued. “If you’re referring to Mr. Merlyn, I should apologize for that. I misjudged him. His talents were not initially easily discernable. But in the end it all led me here to my true goal,” she paused, gesturing towards Oliver. “And as much as I hate wasting time, at least that part is over with.”

“You’re not taking him with you,” Felicity’s voice rose, and Oliver shifted his gaze a little to look at her. Her eyes were ignited with a fire unlike any other he’d seen in their time together. She was fiercely protective, and it left him wondering just how much left there still was to learn about Felicity Smoak. 

“You have very little choice in the matter,” Waller stood, eying Oliver’s bow closely. It’s like she was challenging him to fire. “I have been all over this insipid globe, followed you and your cohorts as they’ve tried to turn my best agent against the organization that saved her, not to mention having to deal with subpar computer hackers, all so I can convince Mr. Queen to come back in quietly. But if I have to ask more than once I will not hesitate to dispatch my agents not only to your home in Starling City, Mr. Queen. But also to Ms. Smoak’s in Las Vegas, and then one to take out the elder Mr. Merlyn. So please try my patience now.”

Oliver knew how outnumbered they were, he’d counted the agents surrounding the cafe twice before entering. But he still knew something Waller didn’t, something Felicity herself didn’t even seem to be considering.

“I don’t think that will be happening Amanda,” Oliver said as he held his bow tighter, but dropped the tip down. He could feel Felicity watching him, and could almost hear her muttering annoyance at him.

“Oh you think I’m bluffing?”

“No,” he replied shaking his head. “I just think it would be really unwise for you and your agents to attempt to take me in, especially right now.”

Waller’s eyes tracked him carefully, her brow ticked up in interest. “I don’t think you pose much a threat to anyone right now Mr. Queen, let alone ARGUS.”

“Yeah,” he said as he raised the bow back into position, letting the arrow fly straight into her shoulder.

Waller staggered backwards, falling against her seat. It was the first moment since he walked in the door that told Oliver that maybe he could get rid of her from his life once and for all. The first time since he’d met Waller all those months ago, that told him she could be vulnerable.

“This is far from over Mr. Queen,” Amanda said, gritting her teeth together as she pressed her hand to the wound. 

He was acutely aware that Felicity’s hand was now attached to his wrist, and he could feel her cool fingers pressing into his pulse point. 

“Oliver,” she whispered, though he couldn’t be sure if it was the blood rushing in his ears or the fact that she’d just been quiet. “Oliver, we have to go.”

He shook his head. She was right. The agents wouldn’t say back for long. So he moved his hand into hers and started to run,  pulling her along. 

“Oliver, I’m so. I didn’t. It’s my fault. and now she’s here. I just,” her words tumbled out in a rush of splintered sentences as they raced down the steps of the old building to the basement. He knew it was only a matter of time before someone would follow them. 

“Felicity, it’s okay,” he said, letting his hand rest on her shoulder for a second. “Waller’s dealt with. At least for now.”

“But the apartment, we can’t go back there.”

He glanced at their surroundings, thinking back to the first time they’d been in the cellar together. With the same threat looming above them.

“We will figure a way to get our stuff from there,” he replied, trying to think himself out of their current situation. It took him a minute before the idea clicked. “The tunnels.”

“What?”

“The day we met I told you we’d take the tunnels out,” he reiterated. “But then we didn’t because I had to call for backup. We can take them now. It will at least keep Waller’s guys from following us.”

She nodded, taking a deep breath. It looked like she wanted to say something else, and Oliver couldn’t believe the longing he felt for her to crack a joke, but before she could her bag began to vibrate. 

Felicity skidded to a stop, moving from his space to pull the device out. He didn’t mind though. He needed the distance to clear his head. Because he still had a lot of thinking to do. 

His conversation with Anatoly was still fresh in his mind. With a deadline passed down to him and ARGUS so close, he wasn’t sure where he could go from there.

“Oh my god,” Felicity muttered, drawing Oliver’s attention to her. 

“What’s wrong now?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she replied, moving towards him with her tablet out. “I set up a system to ping when I got a hit on facial recognition for Tommy or the two people I know will be traveling with him. One of them, his name’s John Diggle, is already at the American Embassy.”

“Where Tommy’s shindig is happening?”

She nodded, but froze. “Oliver, ARGUS won’t go after your family right now, they’d be stupid to do that. But if Waller is starting to suspect Lyla, then John’s not safe.”

“No,” he said sternly, following her gist.  “We have to get out of here and off the streets.”

“He saved my life, he saved Tommy’s life,” she insisted, that same protective spark igniting again. “I can’t just hide somewhere and do nothing. What if they go after him? What if he dies and we could have helped?”

Oliver let out a frustrated groan. He needed to get them to safety. But he also knew if he didn’t at least try to get to this guy, Felicity would try to go herself. And he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to her. 

He met her eyes, eyes that seemed to be focused so intently on him. “Okay, we can go and find your friend. But I swear Felicity the second it seems too dangerous we have to get out of there.”

“Agreed,” she replied in haste, shoving the tablet in her bag. “Thank you Oliver. This means a lot.”

He didn’t reply, just motioned for her to follow him to the tunnels. He didn’t know what they would find outside, but he hoped that the most eventful part of their day was done and over with, even if it never seemed to work out that way for him.

\---

Tommy had hoped to bypass his father all together as he and Lyla exited the building, but in true Malcolm Merlyn fashion, his timing in arriving to the office was impeccable.  He stepped out of the back of the limo, lifted his sunglasses and gave Tommy the most pointed look in the history of annoying fatherly looks.

“I see our IT help wasn’t as irreplaceable as one first thought,” Malcolm quipped.

Tommy cleared his throat.  “Dad this is Lyla.  She works security with Mr. Diggle.  She’s here because I sent him along to Moscow early to work on security for the gala.”

Malcolm extended his hand.  “Pleasure to meet you, Lyla,” he said, before looking back to his son.  “Taking this bodyguard thing a little too seriously, son.”  A beat.  “Or maybe not seriously enough.”

With a sigh, and a conscious effort not to roll his eyes, Tommy met his father’s glare.  “We really should be going,” he said evenly.  “There are still a lot of preparations to be made.  After all, this is altruism we’re talking about here, Dad, not the bleeding hearts club.”  He spat his father’s words back in his face with such satisfaction that he almost expected his father to recoil.  But Malcolm stood his ground, nodding once before pushing passed Tommy and Lyla and moving toward the door of the building.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Malcolm called over his shoulder, before disappearing inside.

Tommy gestured toward the car, taking Lyla’s bag so she could climb inside.

“You know I’ve met your father like three times since I’ve been here, right?” she asked.

Tommy dropped the bags into the trunk and then got into the back seat beside her, closing the door.  “I wouldn’t take it personally,” Tommy answered.  “His memory is selective, and usually nonexistent when it comes to anything where I’m involved.”  He turned his attention to the driver, giving him the address of the airport.  As long as he kept his mind on the fact that he’d be reuniting with Oliver and Felicity in just a few short hours, maybe everything else would seem less overwhelming.  Not that they’d been able to make plans to get back together, but Tommy had been overt in all of his planning.  The flight manifests for the Merlyn private jet were submitted to the airport days ago.  If Felicity was trying to track down when and how he’d be arriving in Moscow, it wouldn’t be difficult.

“Johnny says the security is looking good, but they’ve had some men tailing them for a few hours,” Lyla said.

Tommy glanced over at her.  “ARGUS?”

“Most likely.  You invite Amanda Waller to your party and you can’t expect her to come without researching what she’s getting herself into.”

“You think it’s a stupid idea,” he sighed.  “But once we’re back with Felicity and Oliver, once we can all put our heads together and come up with something to get her off our backs for good, it will be worth it.”

Lyla was quiet on the rest of the drive to the airport which left Tommy alone with his thoughts.  It was no secret this mess was bigger than any one of them could handle.  It was proving to be more of a tangled spider web of unknown organizations and back door deals than even the greatest of spy movies he’d seen.

He’d hoped he would have slept some on the plane ride, but slumber alluded him.  Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was Felicity and Oliver slipping further and further away from him, closer into the waiting clutches of Amanda Waller.  Tommy didn’t know much, but he knew that no matter what, he’d never let that happen.

“Tommy?” Lyla questioned at some point.

His eyes slid open and he scrubbed a hand down his face.  Perhaps he’d managed some sleep after all, because the plane had landed and he had no recollection of it.  “I’m up,” he said, stifling a yawn.  Whatever sleep he’d had wasn’t peaceful or restful because he felt more exhausted than when they’d left.

But from the look in her eye, Lyla wasn’t just waking him up to let him know they’d landed.  “I just got an SOS from Johnny.  Whatever ARGUS is up to, they’ve doubled up the teams tailing him.  He’s going to try to lose them and then meet us here so we can all get to the safehouse together.”

“Shit,” he breathed.  “I left the flight manifest with the airline, hoping Felicity would find us here.  If Waller comes instead…”

“I’m beginning to wonder if she suspects me, too,” Lyla sighed.  “I haven’t heard anything from her in a day.  If she thinks I’m not doing everything I can to bring you in she might…”

“Might what?” Tommy asked, beginning to feel frantic.  He wasn’t sure how Lyla could manage to keep such a cool exterior about it all.

Lyla shook her head, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.  Tommy did the same, grabbing only the necessities.  Everything else could go to the hotel for the time being.  If this was going to go down like his last entry into Moscow, he wanted to be ready.

They stepped down the stairs onto the tarmac and everything seemed calm.  There was an SUV waiting for them a few yards away, the sun was just setting over the western horizon and the bitter chill in the air was enough to make Tommy pull his coat a little closer around himself.

“Should we wait here?” Tommy asked.  “Or have Diggle meet us at the hotel?”

Before Lyla could answer, a gunshot rang out through the air, and they both hit the ground, ducking behind the SUV that the car service had sent.  Lyla reached around for her own gun, steadying it in her hand as she looked for the origin of the shot. 

“Get in,” Lyla demanded, pulling open the passenger door.

Tommy did as he was told, getting into the front seat and staying low.  Lyla rounded the driver side, pointing the gun at the driver until he stepped out.  Tires squealed behind them and Tommy glanced in the side mirror to see three black SUV’s speeding down the tarmac.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he hissed.

Lyla slammed the gear shift into drive, tossing Tommy the gun and her phone.  “Find out where Johnny is.”

“What’s the gun for?” he asked, even if it was a stupid question.

Lyla’s foot hit the floor with the gas pedal and they took off, swerving and weaving in and out of planes, gunfire and the vehicles still tailing them.  Tommy gulped, suddenly glad he had declined any food on the plane.  His hands were shaking as he pressed the button to call Diggle.  It went straight to voicemail.

“Call us back dammit,” Tommy ground out.  “We’re heading for the embassy.  Meet us there if you can.”

Another few shots rang out, two of them hitting the trunk of the rear hatch of their SUV, as if to add a sense of urgency to Tommy’s message.  Their speed was steadily climbing as Lyla dodged the vehicles tailing them.  Two police cars were straight in front of them, officers scattered behind opened doors with guns drawn.  Tommy sunk lower in his seat as Lyla pushed the car forward, swerving right before she hit the police cars and out through the entry gate, smashing the automatic drop-down arm separating the airport from the streets of Moscow.

They disappeared into traffic, but it was only a few seconds before gunshots rang through the air again, this time one of them went through the back window.  Lyla turned up and down side streets.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Tommy asked.  The phone in his hand rang, and he answered it immediately.  “Hello?”

“I’ve lost them for now,” Diggle said, his voice ragged on the other end.

“Yeah, because they found us instead,” Tommy quipped.  Two more shots flew through the back window, finally shattering it.  “Where are you?”  He put the phone on speaker, so Lyla could hear.

“Three blocks from the embassy.  I got your message.  If I stick to the alleys I think I can meet you there.”

Lyla shook her head, just as she took a hard left, and slamming on the brakes, nearly making Tommy’s head collide with the dash.

“Johnny stay where you are if you’re out of sight.  They’ll no doubt be waiting there for you,” Lyla yelled.

“The safehouse might be compromised,” Diggle said, his voice low.  “I think that’s where they tracked me from.”

“Tell me your cross-streets, we’ll be there in five.”

Tommy glanced up from the phone just in time to see two people running across the street, illuminated by the vehicle’s headlights. “Lyla!” he yelled, bracing himself for impact.

Lyla slammed on the brakes, barely stopping in time to miss them.  And then she was off again, turning right down another street.  Tommy looked back at the couple, the air knocked from his lungs at the sight of them.

“Stop the car,” he said, his door open before she’d even come to a full stop.  “Oliver!” His eyes went blurry and he could hear the squealing tires of the cars after them, but he was out the door before Lyla could stop him.  “Felicity! Oliver!”

\---

Felicity heard Tommy’s voice ring out over the bustling sound of traffic. And for a split second she was sure she’d imagined it. That their journey had pressed so much onto her the last few weeks, she was finally losing it. But Oliver came to a full stop before her, nearly causing her to slam into his back, and she knew. 

“Tommy,” Oliver’s voice was barely above a whisper as his head moved around, searching the crowded streets for their friend. 

Felicity followed his actions, scanning the crowded area until she found Tommy. He was standing right next to a dark SUV, staring at them with a look of awe. She couldn’t sum up the feelings welling inside. She thought she knew exactly how she’d feel once they were all reunited, but looking at Tommy now, she hadn’t been prepared for the surge of emotions that flooded her mind. 

Oliver was like a statue next to her, his eyes focused only on Tommy in front of them, like the rest of the world had stopped moving altogether. She was almost certain he would have kept it up too, until a shot rang out behind them. 

Oliver seemed to move on instinct, pulling her down and under his arm to shield her from any stray bullets. 

“Tommy, get back in the car,” she could hear Lyla call out. And she peaked out from the crook of Oliver’s arm, to see the woman in question leaning over the empty passenger seat. 

Oliver stood, gently pushing Felicity towards the car. “ARGUS found us.”

“Not entirely sure we’re the only one’s they’re after,” she replied, once they reached the side of the car. 

“How in the,” Tommy looked between them like he couldn’t quite believe they were real. “I thought this would be harder.”

“We’ll talk later,” Oliver cut him off. He looked into the vehicle and met Lyla’s eyes. “We have to get moving.” 

“Copy that,” she grabbed for something next to her, and before Felicity knew it Oliver had a gun in his hands.  Lyla gave him an expectant look. “You know how to use one?”

“I’ll manage,” he retorted, as he pulled open the back door. Oliver’s free hand rested on her wrist as he focused on her now, fully and with a weight she hadn’t been expecting. “I need you to get in the back and stay low. Waller’s pissed, which makes her dangerous. She won’t care if she injures us.”

Felicity nodded, though she hadn’t moved yet. Tommy was moving to climb into the back when Oliver let go of her and grabbed his shoulder. “Both of you, keep low.”

Tommy nodded, as he pulled her with him into the back. She was surprised how different it felt to have his hand in hers now. How much had taken place in the weeks since they parted. But it was not an unwelcomed sensation in the least. 

“Hey,” he whispered as they did what Oliver told them, making sure they were low in the seats. “We gotta stop getting into these types of situations.”

She let out a small laugh, but she could feel the emotions start bubbling over. Everything about her life from the moment she met Tommy had been full of change and adrenaline. And everything since meeting Oliver had been just as charged with moments of danger. She longed for something normal, even if it didn’t last long, just something to remind her the outside world wasn’t this crazy. 

“What’s wrong?” Tommy inched closer so he could keep his voice low over the sounds of Oliver firing off rounds through the open window. He looked more concerned about her than the bullets flying past their vehicle and it kind of made her want to cry. 

“I just missed you,” she replied, relaxing into his side. She knew it was true, but it still felt wrong. Like there was no way he’d be able to comprehend what she meant by them. But she had missed him. She’d missed the feel of his confidence surrounding her. She missed his warmth and infectious attitude. Felicity learned a lot about herself the last few months and she felt like she owed Tommy for a lot of that. 

“We need to lose them,” Oliver’s voice cut into her thoughts, drawing her attention back to their current situation. He was looking at Lyla as he reloaded his gun. “Any suggestions?”

Lyla huffed but Felicity recognized the look on the woman’s face, as she tried her best to think of a solution for their current situation. 

“Don’t even think of uttering the words ‘split up’,” Tommy said, a touch of bite to his words that told Felicity more than she thought he meant to. 

Obviously he was still angry about how they got separated. And even with the reassurance of each other’s safety, Felicity couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. After everything they’d been through, something deep inside told her if she were to split from either of these men she wouldn’t see the other again for a very long time. And she didn’t want that.

“I wasn’t going to,” Lyla said, turning the wheel sharply. “We have to pick up Johnny before we do anything else.”

“We can’t stop,” Oliver scowled at her, as he fired a few rounds out the window. “If those agents get ahold of us--”

“Look I respect that you want to keep your friends safe,” Lyla cut in, her anger evident with each world. “But we are getting my husband first. Johnny is the best at what he does, and we can’t continue without him.”

The fight seemed to go out of Oliver when he turned his face away, though Felicity just suspected he was gearing up with a different tactic. 

Lyla cut another corner, pulling to a hard stop with enough force that Felicity would have fell into the front seat if Tommy’s arms hadn’t held her where she was. Tommy looked like he was about to ask Lyla why she stopped, but the side door clicked open and John jumped in.

“I managed to drop four on my way here,” he said, mostly to Lyla as he pulled out his weapon, checking the cartridge. “A fifth got away. His radio said something about falling back to regroup.”

They were moving again when Oliver pulled his body back into the car fully. He turned to face Tommy and her, his eyes shifting over them closely. 

“We’re okay,” she answered him with a nod as she tried to sit up. She looked over to John, trying to give him a smile. “Why would ARGUS fall back?”

“I’m more concerned with why they decided to drag race the four of you down a main stretch of road,” he replied. 

She met Oliver’s eyes again and she could see him struggling with what he’d done. She had come to learn that he was never proud of the choices he had to make in the name of survival. 

“ _ We _ may have agitated Amanda Waller,” she said making it clear what she meant. She didn’t want Oliver to shoulder more blame. 

“You were in the same room as Waller, and you managed to walk out free?” Lyla sounded impressed. “No wonder they’ve been on our tail. We can’t go to the normal safehouse.  She’ll know about it. And that means I can’t call any of my Russian contacts either. And the longer we’re on the street the more likely she’ll hit again with more force.”

The car was silent for a while, no one really sure what course of action to take. It seemed like they’d reached the end of the road so to speak. And Felicity was starting to wish she could just hack their way out of the mess they were in. 

“Turn right,” Oliver said shifting everyone’s attention to him. He was stoic and rigid in his seat, but Felicity had seen that set in his shoulders before, she knew the train of thought he was already on.

“Oliver?”

“He’ll help,” Oliver replied, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror. “If for no other reason than the fact that he’ll stop owing me one.” He turned his attention back to Lyla. “Take a left when we reach the end of the street. It’ll be the house on the corner.”

Though she hadn’t been many places during her time in Russia, she’d certainly never stepped foot in this part of town. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Oliver was about to call in the only real favor he’d acquired in the Bratva, because they were about to show up on Ivan’s doorstep.

 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello peoples,
> 
> Thank you so much for the wonderful comments this week. We are so happy that everyone had such a great reaction to the reunion. But things are just getting started. And it's time for me to stop rambling and get on with the chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Kayla

Oliver had the driver-- whose name he still hadn’t gotten-- pull into the driveway and he jumped out, heading to the door while everyone else waited in the car.  It wasn’t exactly the conversation he wanted to be having with Ivan at that moment, but these types of things never really did come with a warning label.

He knocked incessantly, his mind not working clearly enough to remember if Ivan would actually be home or not at that time.  When there was no answer, Oliver impatiently hopped from the porch and moved to the garage door, pulling it open and signaling for the driver to park in the empty space.  There were too many unknowns factored in for Oliver to know which way was up, but if ‘Johnny’ and his wife were helping keep Felicity and Tommy safe, he would trust them-- for now.

Oliver had pulled the garage door mostly closed again when it caught on something-- or rather, someone caught it from closing.  Reflexively, he swung his bow over his shoulder, and nocked an arrow in the split second it took for the door to come back up again, where he came face to face with a single ARGUS agent.  The man had a gun pointed at Oliver’s head and a faint smirk on his face, but quick stock of the situation told Oliver that the man was alone, and clearly had no reason to be smirking.

The agent opened his mouth to no doubt make some snarky remark, but was cut off by the faint click of a trigger pull and the  _ bzzzz  _ of a bullet firing through a silencer, and then the man fell to his knees.

Ivan stood behind him, gun still trained on the empty space where the agent had been.

“Before you say anything,” Oliver said, eyes meeting the Russian’s.  “It’s a matter of life and death.”

“It always is with you,” Ivan gruffed, stepping into the garage and pulling the door shut.  “Was he alone?”

Oliver stooped down, checking the man’s pockets for any phones or trackers he might have on him.  He retrieved a PDA that looked suspiciously like the one Felicity had left in the cafe on the day they met, along with a phone and a few trackers.

“Even if he was, they’ll be keeping an eye on his location,” the driver said, stepping up toward them.

“Get him in the trunk,” Ivan said, swearing under his breath in Russian.  “I will take care of it.  You stay here and we will all have chat when I return.”  

The trunk of his car popped open and Oliver helped ‘Johnny’ get the body inside.  He thought grimly to himself that he could check that off the bucket list of things he’d done in the mob, and then scanned the garage for Tommy and Felicity.  

The whole ordeal had been over in just a few minutes, but there was something tugging in his head telling Oliver not to let those two out of his sight again.  How different things were this time around.  The last time he’d seen Tommy…

No, he couldn’t dwell on that now.  Not when they still weren’t safe.

“Go out the back door,” Ivan nodded his head in the general direction before pulling the driver’s side door open.  “Stairs to the basement are on left.  I will come down when I return.”

Oliver noded, glad for the time he would have to figure out a plan before Ivan returned.  Johnny took the lead, moving to the door with his wife.  Tommy and Felicity followed and Oliver slung his bow back over his shoulder as he pulled up the rear.  He clicked the door to the garage shut behind them before he heard the overhead door open and Ivan pull out.  They all filed downstairs and into the basement, which was poorly lit, damp, freezing cold and otherwise bare.

“I guess introductions are in order,” Felicity said, clearing her throat, looking around the room awkwardly.  “Or not, I mean, we can just sit here in awkward silence until Mr. Size-of-a-Refrigerator gets back.”

Oliver huffed, but didn’t say anything.  She met his eyes with a bit of a smile.

“Good,” Felicity continued, wringing her hands together.  “John, Lyla, this is Oliver.  Oliver, this is Lyla and John Diggle.”

“Lyla Michaels,” the woman in question corrected, shrugging.  “But nice to meet you just the same.”

John moved forward, extending his hand.  “Diggle,” he said with a firm shake.  “You’re the one causing all this commotion, huh?”

“Something like that,” Oliver said, his voice quiet.  He hadn’t dared to look at Tommy yet, ashamed of what he’d done the last time they’d been in a room together.  Was it possible he could make his friend understand the severity of the situation back then?  That the only reason he’d done what he’d done was to protect him, to keep Waller from killing him?

Maybe, after everything Tommy had been through, he’d be able to understand.

“John, Lyla, can I talk to you over here for a moment?” Felicity asked, taking a few steps away.

Oliver turned toward his friend, and with eyes still downcast, he cleared his throat before speaking.  “Tommy, I--”

He was cut off with a fierce hug, the force of which nearly knocked the wind from him.  Tommy’s arms were a vise, pulling pieces of Oliver back together that he’d thought would forever remain broken.  Oliver responded immediately, wrapping his arms around Tommy, hugging him tightly.

“Hey buddy,” Tommy croaked, his voice thick with emotion.  “I guess you’re not dead after all.”

“They were going to--” Oliver began, taking a step back.

“Water under the bridge,” Tommy said, with a dismissive shrug.  “What’s a hostage situation between friends?”  His face dissolved into a grin that Oliver couldn’t help but mirror.  “God, I didn’t think this day would ever come,” Tommy sighed, shaking his head.  “What a wild ride, huh?”

“It’s not over yet,” Oliver said, feeling the weight of the situation begin to return.  

“Right,” Tommy answered, gesturing toward where the others were standing, talking quietly.  “About that… I’ve got a plan, and it’s going to require a little finesse and a whole lot of luck.”

“Not that plan thing again, man,” Diggle groaned.

Oliver had to admit, he was worried, but Tommy had survived a lot during the last few weeks that lesser men would have succumb to, so Oliver had to give his friend some credit.

“If we can make it work,” Lyla interjected.  “It may mean getting Waller off all of your backs for good.”

“What about you?” John asked, meeting his wife’s eyes.

“I’m with you, til the end,” she said, a little quieter this time.  “And just like the rest of you, I won’t go down without a fight.”

“Okay then,” Oliver said, looking to Tommy.  He wasn’t sure how he felt about not assuming control of whatever it was they were about to do, but his friend seemed to have a jumping off point, which was more than he currently had.  So he asked, “What’s the plan?”

\---

Tommy had felt confident when he began talking, he really thought his idea had some sound merit to it. But by the time he reached his conclusion everyone was staring. John and Lyla were doing their silent conversing thing they were so fond of, and Oliver’s gaze was trained on him.

“No guys, don’t everyone speak at once,” he snarked, leaning back against a wooden beam. “By all means if you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”

“It’s not that it’s a bad idea Tommy,” Felicity replied, looking between him and Oliver, as she bit her lip. “It’s just--”

“Insane,” Oliver cut in. “Your plan is insane.”

“Oliver!” Felicity hissed, sending him a glare. She focused back on Tommy. “He didn’t mean that. But the plan does rely on factors we can’t control.”

“That just sounds like our whole trip up until now,” he paused, meeting her eyes with a feeling hinting at disappointment at her lack of faith. “Felicity I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy, but I’ve seen you do unprecedented things. If anyone can hack into Waller’s network it’s you.”

There was something off about her response, and Tommy noticed that she did everything in her power not to meet his gaze. 

“I told you it was insane,” Lyla said, looking up from her conversation with Diggle. “But insane might work in our favor. Waller might not be expecting it. And if we can take her by surprise, we could have the upper hand.”

“Or she’ll do like she always does and lash out at someone innocent,” Oliver countered, with a shake of his head. “I’m not giving her the chance to hurt someone else.”

“And what do you think you’re going to do? Walk right up to the director of ARGUS and put a bullet in her head?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he said, and Tommy couldn’t help but flinch at his friend's words, causing Oliver to go rigid. He was so different from the Oliver that had gotten on the Gambit, so much harder than Tommy could have imagined. 

“Okay, maybe we need to take a beat,” Dig said coming to stand just in front of Lyla. “We have a clear case of too many heads and not enough soldiers. We all can’t run this thing, otherwise a lot of people could get hurt. And I’m with Queen on this, that’s not something I’m willing to see.”

Lyla relaxed her shoulders, nodding along with Dig’s words, but Oliver still seemed keyed up, ready for a fight.

Tommy watched as Oliver’s gaze slid to Felicity, and his friend took a step back almost on instinct. 

Oliver shook his head, focusing back on Tommy. “How would we even get access to ARGUS’s network? Waller’s not gonna let any of us near their computers and your one asset is probably on every agent's blacklist by now.”

Tommy paused for a minute, looking over to Lyla. But she didn’t look offended by Oliver’s words so Tommy pressed on. 

“Actually I’m thinking that might be the easy part,” he replied. Dig and Lyla gave him matching looks of confusion, while Felicity wrapped her arms around her middle.

“Elaborate that sentence,” Oliver pressed.

“Waller had a meeting at Merlyn Global when we arrived in Monte Carlo, a couple weeks ago.” Felicity tensed, her eyes searching his frantically. Like she thought she could decipher any wounds the woman could have inflicted. He gave her a smile. “I’m fine, she just wanted to talk. But MG has an incentive program. Anyone looking to do business with the company gets a free tablet that links them to a bunch of different outfits within the company. A way to give them a sneak peek without having to have them sit through twenty meetings.”

“Waller took the the tablet?” Felicity asked, her eyes flickering to life as she jumped on his train of thought. 

“She did,” he nodded. “Which means if she did anything ARGUS related on it, it links back to MG.”

“And if it pinged in our servers I can back hack into their system,” she finished with a sigh. But she didn’t sound confident. In fact she sounded defeated. 

As if the conversation was suppose to end there, Felicity walked off settling herself down on a dingy sofa in the corner. Her eyes seemed focused on her hands, and she didn’t look over to any of them. 

Oliver shifted to move towards her, but stopped himself, his body running into a rigid line. He turned to Tommy with a desolate smile. “You should go talk to her. I’m sure she needs you.”

He wanted to ask his friend about the pull between him and the blonde, but he thought better of it. There were plenty of things Oliver was likely to keep from him about the time he was away, but Tommy would bet money on emotional attachments being at the top of that list. So instead of prodding him, Tommy moved around the small space towards Felicity.

“This seat taken?” he smiled nudging the spot next to her with his knee. “I mean I can sit on the floor if I need to. Though I’m not sure if this floor is supposed to be this color or not.”

Felicity patted the open space, but made no advance to keep their conversation going. And honestly that scared Tommy the most. No matter what they’d been through, the weird, the terrifying, none of it had kept Felicity from babbling. But right then she was quiet and reserved, and so still. It filled the space with a very wrong type of energy, and Tommy hated it.

“Okay Smoak you’re starting to freak me out here,” he shifted so he was facing her, he didn’t want to try to talk to her if he wasn’t even looking at her. “What’s going on?”

He wasn’t sure she was going to answer, that maybe she had shut some switch off and she wasn’t even aware he was next to her. But then she looked at him. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“The hack? Because I have seen you do that exact thing, multiple times, and on way less coffee than I promise I will get you now.”

“Not the hack,” she said, then shook her head. “Or at least not just that. I don’t know. I just. Tommy you didn’t see her today. She was so cold, so confident in the words she said. Like she knew that if she said the right things that she’d get exactly what she wanted.”

“She’s not here, Felicity,” he placed an arm around her, trying anything he could to reassure her.

“But her words are,” she whispered, her gaze flicking over to Oliver. “She wanted me to turn on him. She said she’d leave  _ us _ alone if I just let her take him. If I just lied to you and let ARGUS have Oliver this would all be over. She offered us computers and state of the art offices. She tried to bribe me into selling someone out.”

He pulled his arm back moving instead to rest a hand on hers. “I know. She offered me things too. She told me she’d leave both of you alone if I went to work for her.”

“And that didn’t terrify you?” her breath hitched. “That someone would just offer you things to get what they want?”

“A little, but you’ve met my dad, so I’m kind of use to it,” he leaned back sending her a playful grin, but Felicity didn’t respond to it this time. “Hey, it’s not like you were going to agree to it.”

“Of course not,” she replied instantly, pulling her hand back and picking at the creases in her jeans. “But that’s because she was only bargaining with my life. But Tommy it scares me how close she was to hitting the right buttons. Yeah I wouldn’t have turned on Oliver right then because she was making offers, but if she had threatened you? Or my mom? I don’t know if I could say that my reaction would have been the same.”

He wasn’t sure he understood why she was so upset. If it was her core fundamentals being toyed with or if it was some connection that solely linked to Oliver. But it didn’t matter to Tommy which reason was making his friend this upset, all he cared about was Felicity’s well being. 

“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had,” he said putting as much meaning into his words as he could. He needed her to understand how much he meant them. “If it comes down between this crusade or protecting your family, I will always respect the choices you make. And Oliver will too. He gets that she’s all you have. Because he has people back home as well.”

Felicity nodded as she took a deep breath. “Waller told me she found us because they reversed a code I came up with to find Oliver. They took something of mine and used it to taint all of our lives.”

Tommy reached beside her, sliding her tablet from her open bag and held it out for her. 

“So,” he said with a smile. “Let’s make them pay for it.”

She hesitated for a second, but took the device and grinned back. “They’re going to wish they’d never heard the name Felicity Megan Smoak.”

“That’s my girl.”

\---

Felicity could easily identify the feeling of hesitation within her.  Gun-shy, it was often called in police officers after a shootout or hostile situation.  She knew that her altercation with Amanda Waller, with finding out that they’d used her own systems against her, were what was making her cautious about making any further moves against ARGUS.  She knew it needed to happen, that she was the most capable in making it happen, but it didn’t change the feelings of worry and anxiety swelling in her gut as her fingers were poised over the keyboard of her tablet.

She put on a brave face for Tommy, but the instant his back was turned in conversation with Oliver, Lyla and Dig, Felicity clammed up again.  The feeling of helplessness, of violation in regard to the code that she’d built, it was something akin to a parent discovering their child on a pole in a strip club.

After a moment she blew out a long breath, flexed her fingers and got to work.  She and Tommy and Oliver had already been through so much; she couldn’t let a little fear of Waller stop her from doing everything in her power to bring that woman down once and for all.  Felicity was doing it for more than just the three of them; it was for Diggle and Lyla too, and her mother, Oliver’s family, and Tommy’s father.

“You need anything?” Tommy asked, spinning back around to face her.

Felicity shook her head, eyes darting back and forth across the screen and fingers dancing on the keys.  She was in her groove now, and with the ghost servers she’d set up, Waller would never know what hit her.

“Waller never connected to their system with the tablet,” Felicity said with a sigh.  “But with the Merlyn Global software downloaded I might be able to log into the device remotely and--” she paused, fingers flying faster.  “Booyah!” she exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air.  She glanced around the dimly lit basement, her cheeks heating with a blush as all eyes were trained on her.  “Oops,” she said, clearing her throat.

“I take it you have good news,” Oliver said, taking a step toward her.

Felicity nodded, turning her tablet around.  “Welcome to the ARGUS mainframe ladies and gentlemen.”

“How did you--” Tommy asked.

“I used the Merlyn Global apps that were installed to upload a virus to the software that would automatically connect any device to the nearest wi-fi or LAN network.  There were over 3500 devices but luckily only one in Moscow.  As long as the device stays connected for the next fifteen minutes or so, I should be able to download everything relevant to our needs.”

“Remind me never to cross you,” Tommy said, the impressed look on his face causing hers to color again.

She cleared her throat, darting her eyes up to Oliver, who looked just as impressed, although he said nothing and turned, taking a few steps away from where she and Tommy sat.  She tried not to let it get to her, but she would be lying if she didn’t admit to feeling just the least bit of annoyance at his distancing himself from her.  But there were more important things to worry about, so she ducked her head back down, ghosting through the servers to find original files of any top secret or redacted cases she could get her hands on.

“You don’t think she’s going to do the same thing again do you?” Tommy asked, glancing over her shoulder.  “Use your code to find us?”

Felicity shook her head.  “I’m pinging off so many ghost servers it would take a supercomputer years to trace back.  I learned my lesson the hard way and I am  _ not _ making that same mistake again.”  She glanced up at him, briefly and then nodded toward Oliver.  “So you and Mr. Grump work everything out?”

Tommy shrugged, looking slightly uneasy.  “As much as can be expected for now, I guess.  I think once we’re out of mortal danger it might be a little easier to gauge.”  He paused a moment and then changed gears.  “So what ever happened with Maseo’s son?  Was he here with Oliver?”

Felicity stopped typing, meeting Tommy’s eyes with a bright smile.  “We took him home,” she said with a deep sigh.  “Oliver’s employer got us plane tickets to Tokyo, we met up with Maseo and his wife and reunited them.  It was such a satisfying moment, I wish you could have been there.”

Tommy nodded.  “I would have liked that, but at least he’s home with his parents.  I can’t imagine Ollie with a kid.”

She let out a little giggle, remembering some of the more awkward moments with the three of them in the tiny apartment.  “It was an adventure,” she said, turning her attention back to the screen.  “This whole thing has been kind of crazy.”

“Oh?” Tommy asked, and she thought she detected something more than just curiosity in his tone, but it was impossible to be sure.

Before she could answer, a throat cleared behind her and she glanced up over her shoulder to find Oliver standing there.  “What were you able to recover?” he asked, looking more rigid and stern than she’d seen him in days.

“I’ll have to decrypt it after I pull out,” she froze, blinked and then gulped.  “I mean, after I disconnect.  From their mainframe.  Because there’s nothing else, I mean, there’s no other reason for…. I’m going to stop talking now.”

She whimpered to herself and then added under her breath, “Great job brain.  You’re aces at most embarrassing situations.”

“Felicity,” Oliver said, dropping a hand to her shoulder, making her freeze again.

With her bottom lip between her teeth, she looked up at him.  “Hmm?” she hummed sheepishly.  All of this being in the middle was starting to get to her, even if it was just in her head.  She hated the idea that they were being weird around each other, and she couldn’t help but wonder if any of it was because of her.

“It’s been fifteen minutes.  If that was your window for getting out undetected, now might be a good time.”

“Right,” she said, clearing her throat and nodding.  She pulled her attention back to her tablet, easily navigating her way back through the maze of firewalls and security protocols.  She left the virus on Waller’s tablet, just in case she needed to access it again, and then looked up at Oliver triumphantly.  “Done.”

“So what do we do now?” Tommy asked.

“Now we wait for--” Oliver started, and then was cut off by footsteps upstairs.

Felicity hoped it was Ivan coming back, because she really had had just about enough running for one day and they would probably be sorely outnumbered if it were ARGUS coming for them again.

The door to the basement opened and Ivan poked his head down, before descending the stairs with a weary expression on his face.

“You will tell me now,” he said, eyes locked on Oliver’s.  “Why I dispose of bodies for you.”

Oliver blew out a breath and Felicity could see the uneasiness on his face.  She didn’t know the ins and outs of the Bratva the way Oliver did, but she had a feeling things like this usually went through the higher ups before decisions were made.  Even still, she knew that Oliver had saved Ivan on at least one occasion, and she’d been informed by Sofia that he’d saved her life as well.  That had to mean something to a man like Ivan. Felicity just hoped it would mean enough.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo lovelies! Happy Monday. Not much to say today... except, enjoy!
> 
> xoxo,  
> Cassie

**** Oliver was reluctant to leave Felicity and Tommy in the basement when Ivan beckoned him upstairs. But he wasn’t willing to expose Tommy to the Bratva anymore than he had to. It was bad enough he’d let an innocent child be around this life for so long, or even Felicity. But he was determined to keep Tommy from it. So he gave his friend a quick nod before he followed Ivan up.

Ivan didn’t speak as they walked into the light of the living room and Oliver kept his guard up as he scanned the room. He knew Ivan didn’t trust him, that their time together wasn’t strong enough to instill that kind of bond. But he knew how the Brotherhood protected each other, what the weight of that duty meant. 

“You took care of it?” Oliver raised a brow as he tried to sound casual. Even if nothing about their lives warranted such. 

“Body’s been dumped in an abandoned warehouse on the other side of town,” Ivan replied taking a seat on the couch. “No way they trace him back over here. You’re safe. For now. I feel I should at least ask what he wanted.”

“Thank you,” he hated how the words tasted bitter. He wished he could be grateful to Ivan for his assistance, but as he thought back to their first meeting Oliver wasn’t sure he’d ever come to enjoy oweing the man things. “He worked for some people. People who have been after me for a while.”

“I do not need more details.” Ivan motioned to the chair opposite him, and waited for Oliver to sit before he continued. “And I did not help for your thanks. My reasons are much more than debts in need of payment, Oliver.”

“I have nothing to offer you except my gratitude,” he let out a long sigh. “We both know I don’t exactly get payed much for the position I hold.”

“And yet you still hold a strong one, one any other in the Bratva would be honored to have,” Ivan smirked, as he leaned in across the space. “Did you know before you came along, Anatoly was considering another for your position? My brother Vlad.”

Oliver wasn’t sure how to respond to the information. He always assumed that the Captain he took over for had been an unplanned timing thing. But the more he thought about it, the more likely it was that Anatoly has always know of Sokolov’s dealings. The former had just been biding time until a suitable replacement was ready to take the position. Oliver had been just the catalyst his boss needed to take care of a situation.  

“I’ve met your brother,” Oliver said. “He would have made a decent Captain.”

“Then you did not really meet Vlad, otherwise you’d know how wrong you are,” Ivan countered with a smirk. “He’s ruthless when he should be calculating, and angry when he should see reason. He would have most assuredly rained war upon us all. Anatoly giving Sokolov’s position to you was a good move for the Bratva. Vlad wants to be Pakhan, he views himself as the best to one day take over for Anatoly. Because neither Knyazev brother has produced a male heir.”

“Bet that sits well with Sofia,” Oliver quipped. But he knew the girl well enough to know even if she was offered the chance she’d turn down running the Brotherhood. She wanted less to do with them than Oliver himself.

“She’s a pawn to Mikhail,” Ivan replied, and Oliver could hear the venom in his words. “The eldest child to the Knyazev line, but cannot take over the Bratva herself. He wants Anatoly to choose an heir based on her.”

Oliver could hear all that Ivan still refused to say outloud. He could tell exactly what Mikhail had once planned for his daughter. But he still wanted to know for sure. Because he couldn’t quite believe that someone could view their own child as property.

“So the Bratva gets an heir to the throne, and Sofia gets a husband, is that it?”

Ivan glowered at his words. “She would do anything for her family, even if it meant sacrificing her happiness.”

“Why doesn’t Anatoly just name you? You’re qualified, and you love her,” Oliver added trying to gauge how far he could press the subject before Ivan clammed up. He felt like he still had enough room to continue though. 

“Because Mikhail doesn’t want Anatoly to choose someone who could make his daughter happy. He wants nothing more than to control the Bratva through a rightful heir. He thinks I’m too strong to be controlled.”

“Well what exactly do you think I can do about that?” Because Oliver was sure Ivan wasn’t helping him in exchange for a history lesson.

“You threw a wrench into Mikhail’s plans. He wanted the newest Captain to be wedded to Sofia. But he approves of you even less than he approves of me.”

“How comforting.”

“You’re going to need allies in this world Oliver. People who have your back when the others realize the offer Mikhail will put on the table,” Ivan eyed him closely. “I mean one whisper about the power they’d gain if they took you out? Everyone will want a shot.”

“So you want to what? Protect me?”

“I want Sofia safe and not used as a prize in a war between the Brotherhood. If you were to name a second,” he said motioning to himself. “Someone you tell Anatoly you trust, that solidifies your position in the Bratva, and makes it less likely for others to attack. And then a couple years down the line, Mikhail will give up his obsession with marrying Sofia off.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Oliver raised a brow. “What will really stop him from using her?”

Ivan gave Oliver a grim smile. “Sofia’s loyalty may rest with her family, but mine rests with her. I will not let him take away her only freedom in this life.”

“Ivan what you’re saying--”

“Stays in this room. I am willing to help you, lie for you. You must be willing to do the same. Otherwise we all die,” he motioned to the door behind them. “Than includes your friends.”

Oliver couldn’t stand the way things were unfolding. He hated how every turn he made felt like things were becoming less and less his choice. But it was more than that. He hated how everyone else’s choices were being ripped from them as well. And there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop it. 

Ivan got up, like he was sure their conversation had concluded. Oliver watched as he walked behind him.

“What if I don’t plan on staying?” He hadn’t voiced it yet. The possibility of leaving Russia and heading home. It hadn’t been real before, but that was before he’d seen Tommy. Before his best friend had pulled him into a tight vice grip, and Oliver felt the full relief that came with it. He could go home. It would be so very easy. But at the same time he knew it would also be the hardest thing in the world.

“Stay or go, the Bratva is a part of you now. We both know you cannot shed it completely.”

\---

Tommy was trying not to pace the small basement floor, but with Oliver still upstairs, Felicity diligently working on decrypting files, and John and Lyla deep in conversation at the far end of the room, there was little left for him to do.  It was interesting, now that he thought about it; the fact that Waller had seen something in him worth coveting for her team of agents.  He wasn’t sure exactly what it was she thought he brought to the table.  He didn’t have the computer skills that Felicity had, or the training that Oliver seemed to possess since leaving on the Gambit with his father three years ago.  Was it possible Waller had meant to double cross Tommy had he given in to her advances back in Monte Carlo and use him to bring in Felicity and Oliver, her  _ real _ targets?  Or was there really something lurking beneath the surface in him that she saw?

The thought alone made his skin crawl.

The basement door opened and Oliver descended, his face a perfect mask of indifference.  He glanced around the basement but didn’t seem inconvenienced enough by the rest of them being scattered around the room to address them.

“So?” Tommy prompted after a moment.  “What’s the plan?”

“Hmm?” Oliver hummed, blinking before readjusting his focus on his friend.

Tommy bit back a scoff, but only barely.  He hadn’t expected Oliver to come back and look so deep in thought, but it made Tommy seriously wonder what had transpired upstairs.  “Is he going to help us?”

Oliver nodded.  “Once it’s completely dark he’s got two rooms upstairs we can use. Sofia is going to bring some food over in a while.  Ivan and I had some,” he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably.  “Work, to do.”  He finished.

“What do you mean work?” Tommy asked, narrowing his eyes.  “And for that matter whose house are we at?  How do you know this guy, and why was he so willing to dispose of a body for you?”

It was more questions than Tommy had anticipating throwing at his friend, but once they started, he couldn’t hold them back.  None of this was going down like Tommy had planned, not the meeting up with Oliver or the gala planning or the taking down Waller.  He didn’t want there to be bodies or getting other people involved.  It was bad enough Lyla and John were stuck in this, but now this guy and some girl named Sofia were involved too.  Tommy knew well enough that in situations like this, it was best to keep your circle small-- if not it was only a matter of time before someone turned on you.

“He owes me,” was all Oliver would say.

“What does that even mean?” he asked through gritted teeth.  His voice was low but insistent.

“If you trust me,” Oliver replied.  “Please don’t ask.”

Tommy wanted to press him for more information, but something like a rock in the pit of his stomach soured him against the idea.  He did want to trust Oliver, but the ease of which Oliver seemed prepared to kill found its way to the surface of his mind, making it difficult to blindly follow him.  Oliver wasn't the same person, in fact there were times Tommy barely recognized him. Before the Gambit, there wasn't a single time Tommy could recall where Oliver doubted him on anything. Now it felt like every line spoken between them was filled with a thousand things left unsaid. 

Turning away, Tommy blew out a long breath.  There was tension in his muscles that was leaving him feeling like a coil wound too tight.  He needed an outlet for some of the nervous energy he couldn’t rid himself of.  He resumed walking the small space, not that it was ideal, but it was better than trying to sit around waiting for something to happen.  He’d made a small circle of the room when he spotted the punching bag hanging in the far, unlit corner.  Moving to the backpack he’d discarded near the door, Tommy crouched beside it, pulling out a roll of tape and wound his hands with it.  A punching bag was certainly better for his nerves than pacing, and it was safer than attempting conversation with Oliver.

Diggle caught Tommy’s eye and nodded, disengaging himself from conversation with his wife and meeting Tommy by the target.

“Not the reunion you were hoping for?” Diggle asked, bracing himself against the bag as Tommy began with tense, eager hits against it.

“You can say that again,” Tommy answered, gritting his teeth.  “Why is it everyone else seems to trust him, and I can’t quite bring myself to?”  He kept his voice low, not wanting it to carry across to the others in the basement.

“Could have something to do with Hong Kong,” Diggle said with a raised brow.

Tommy struck the bag harder, feeling the anger he was holding onto dissipate a little with each blow.

“It’s more than that, or maybe it’s not. I don’t know,” Tommy grunted, as the familiar rhythm vibrated through his fists.   

“You’ve got good form,” he heard Oliver’s voice call from behind him.  Tommy paused, glancing over his shoulder to see him approaching.  “How do you do with a moving target?”

Tommy turned, letting out a quiet scoff.  That was really not a question Oliver should be asking in that very moment.  Without hesitation, he threw a punch flying toward his friend.  Oliver blocked it easily, dodging out of the way.  Tommy wasn’t sure, but it looked like there was something in Oliver’s stance, in his eyes, that said he was intentionally goading Tommy into a sparring match.  Not that Tommy needed much in the way of incentive, not after the car chase that led them to this basement and the dead body he’d seen less than an hour ago and the fact that no one believed that his plan to get rid of Waller for good could actually work.  Tommy had plenty to keep him keyed up, and if Oliver wanted to be the recipient for all that frustration, Tommy could oblige.

He threw another punch, this one narrowly missing Oliver’s cheek.  The more Tommy stewed, the angrier he found himself becoming.  It wasn’t just about the mess they’d been through, and it wasn’t just about the way he saw Felicity looking at Oliver-- like the two shared secrets that Tommy wasn’t worthy of being privy to, or even the fact that his best friend had scared him shitless and sent him back home to Starling, letting him believe that he was dead.  But it was surely a culmination of all of those things and more.

Oliver advanced, throwing a one-two punch, the second of which connected with Tommy’s jaw, sending him staggering backwards.

“Keep your fists up,” Oliver instructed.  “You need to always be able to block an incoming--”

Tommy righted himself swiftly, taking the opportunity while Oliver spoke to sweep his leg around, knocking Oliver off balance and landing him flat on his back.

“I think I’m good,” Tommy said, looking down at Oliver, before offering him a hand up. 

Before things could dissolve further, Felicity cleared her throat, gathering everyone to her.  “So, I have good news and bad news.”

“Let’s have the good news first,” Tommy said, picking at the end of the tape that was wrapped around his left hand.

“Well the good news is that I’ve got the information from some of the lesser encrypted files,” she glanced around at the four people surrounding her, and then continued.  “The bad news is, Amanda Waller found a way to invite herself to the gala.  She just RSVP’d.”

“About that,” Tommy said, and four pairs of eyes shifted to him instead.  “She didn’t invite herself.  I included her in the invites.”

“You what?” Oliver asked, incredulous as he took a step forward.

“The whole gala idea was to have some of the most influential people in the world be gathered in one place so we could blackmail her with exposing her secrets,” Tommy answered.  “How did you think we were going to do that without her there?”

“Tommy this isn’t a game,” Oliver growled.  “All of those innocent lives will hang in the balance if she’s put in a position of being in the room with even just one of us.  How much more ruthless do you think she’ll be with us all there?”

“It’s called a bluff,” Tommy bit back.  “She won’t do anything, not with the threat of exposing all of that hanging over her.”

“It would ruin her,” Felicity piped in.  “That’s actually kind of brilliant,” she breathed.  “It’s almost what I threatened her with, until she reminded me that exposing all of her agents would be considered treason… and well, then Oliver showed up, and,” she cleared her throat.  “I’m just going to stop--”

“I thought your party was a diversion,” Oliver seethed.  “We can’t go through with this.”

“Waller’s RSVP would beg to differ with you on that,” Tommy said with a tight smile.  He turned back to Felicity.  “How much longer on the rest of the encrypted files?”

She lowered her eyes back to the tablet screen.  “Not much longer, but I’m going to need a power outlet soon.  This baby is almost out of juice.”

Three distinct thumps sounded through the floor.  “Sofia is here,” Oliver said, his voice neutral.

“Food sounds like a good idea,” John interjected, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder.  “We can revisit the plan after we’ve all had a chance to digest this a little bit.”

Tommy nodded, not knowing how it was going to play out, but knowing that he and Oliver had to get back on the same side if they had any chance of beating Waller.

\---

“I never got the chance to thank you,” Felicity said when she wandered over to Sofia. The dark haired girl was busying herself, taking the food from bags. But she looked up to meet Felicity’s eyes with a smile. “For the clothes, I mean.”

“It was really no trouble,” she replied as she handed Felicity a plate. “Consider it a gesture of goodwill. You did help Oliver return Akio to his parents. And that is something that deserves much more praise than a couple of shirts.”

“Anyone would have, it was the right thing to do.”

“You’d be surprised how many people do not see the world that way,” Sofia countered, her gaze shifting over to where Ivan stood talking in low whispers to Oliver. “In this life, it’s a rare thing to see someone risk their safety for another and not expect something in return. You and Oliver have a lot in common.”

Felicity couldn’t help the small huff of laughter that came to her lips. “I highly doubt Oliver and I have anything in common.”

“Both willing to to go out on a limb to save a stranger, not because of payment or duty. But because you fundamentally believe it to be right? Sounds pretty similar to me.”

Felicity felt a flush run through her veins, though she hadn’t a clue why she felt that way. She wanted to rebuke Sofia’s words, even if she meant nothing of them on the surface. But they did seep into her system, inching their way to the back of Felicity’s mind. 

Felicity opened her mouth to say something, anything to get Sofia on another conversation track, when Tommy walked over, knocking lightly into her elbow. 

“Hey,” he whispered with a grin.

“Hey back,” she replied shaking her head. Talk about a subject changer. “Um, Sofia this is Tommy. Oliver’s friend. I mean my friend, obviously. He’s a friend of both of us.”

Sofia laughed, as she took Tommy’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your friends are good people.”

“Even the stoic gruff over there?” Tommy questioned whipping a glance over to Oliver. 

“Trust me when I say I have met some of the worst, and your friend does not come close,” she said as she looked down at her watch. “It is getting late. I must meet Ana at her tutors.” She motioned over to Ivan who left Oliver’s side. “Goodbye Felicity. May life treat you kind.”

“You too,” Felicity said as she watched Ivan and Sofia leave. She could feel Tommy’s eyes on her, watching carefully. “Yes?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged looking away. 

“Really?” She made sure she turned just enough to face him fully. Because she hated having conversations that weren’t eye to eye. “Because you’re doing that thing you do when you want to say something but you’re not sure how I’m going to react to it.”

He hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “What’s Oliver into here in Russia?” 

She hadn’t been expecting the question, though she really should have been. Tommy was a smart guy. He knew when something was up, and of course he’d notice Oliver hiding things from him. But she didn’t want to be the one to have this conversation with him. Even if that meant Tommy sat in the dark for a while.

“That’s not my story to tell, Tommy,” she replied taking a deep breath. “Anything that Oliver’s been through in the last few years. Those are his stories, his secrets if he chooses to keep them that way.”

“So you do know,” he seemed to deflate as he looked away. “He can tell you but not me.”

“Tommy--”

“I’m gonna go see if I can find the bathroom in this place,” he cut her off standing up straight as he ran his hands across his face.

“It’s down the hall to your right,” Oliver said, and she couldn’t help jumping a little. She really thought she was better at watching her surrounding than that.

“Thanks,” Tommy bit back, barely containing an eye roll. “I’ll try not to come up with anything stupid while I’m out of earshot.”

Tommy walked away before either of them could reply, and Felicity groaned as she turned to meet Oliver’s gaze. 

“He seems angry,” Oliver noted with a sigh.

“Can you blame him for that?” she countered, surprised by the fight in her voice. “I mean he’s been looking for you for months and the day he finally finds you, you treat him like he’s a child.”

“I’m trying to protect him,” he folded his arms keeping his voice low. But Felicity didn’t care if Lyla or Diggle heard them. She needed him to understand.

“Why? Because you don’t think he’s strong enough? Or maybe you’re just so used to taking everything on yourself,” she shook her head at him. “Either way you’re being an idiot.”

“Don’t do that, you know inviting Waller there could turn out to be a disaster,” he all but growled as he pulled her further away from the main room. “And not just for me or you, but for Tommy. For our families. For a bunch of people who don’t need to become casualties in this war. He’s getting in over his head. And it could get a lot of people killed.”

She yanked out of his grip, but when she replied her tone had calmed. “Tommy believes this plan will work. He has so much faith in me and you, and in the idea that the five of us can end this. Why is that a bad thing?”

“Faith doesn’t get you anywhere but a grave, Felicity. And that’s if you’re lucky enough for someone to notice you’re gone. Tommy’s being naive and I don’t want to watch it get him killed.”

She could feel the heat pricking at the corners of her eyes, tears threatening to fall. But she stood her ground anyway. “I think you’re wrong. Ever since the moment I met him, Tommy has had a steady, unwavering faith in one thing. And that was his belief that you were worth saving. Worth risking everything for. And you can act like you don’t care about things, and you can be angry at him or me. But I’m not willing to give up on his faith.” She paused, stepping away from him. “And for your sake, I hope he never gives up on it either.”

She needed a minute away from him, and everyone else too. But she stopped, remembering she had never been in Ivan’s home before. So she really didn’t know where another room was, unless she wanted to sit in the basement. Which she did not.

“Where are the bedrooms?” she asked as she turned on her heel to Oliver. “I think I want to be alone for a bit.”

“Upstairs, last two on the left,” Oliver replied, before clearing his throat. “Which means some of us will have to share. And I kind of assumed your married friends would appreciate their own room.”

Felicity looked over to John and Lyla with a sigh. They technically did deserve a room to themselves, considering they had volunteered for to take on ARGUS. “That’s probably a wise idea. But that means…”

“You, me, and Tommy get to share,” he finished with a nod. “Yeah, I know.”

"Perfect,” she said holding in her groan. Because honestly her in the same room as the two of them for the next couple of days, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. “Just perfect.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dears hello,
> 
> Here we are, chapter 30. I feel like this is a milestone to celebrate. But not just for Cassie and I, but for you guys as well. I mean really without readers it's kind of like were tossing words into a hole. So thank you all for your endless support. Now you didn't come here to read my rambles, so let's get on with it.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Kayla

Oliver watched Felicity head upstairs to the second floor and dropped himself into a dining chair with an exhausted huff.  He hadn’t realized how difficult all of this would be-- seeing Tommy again, figuring out the new dynamic with the three of them in the same place at the same time, learning how to work with ex-military ARGUS agents.  For the last three years, Oliver had been on the lookout for one person-- himself.  Sure there were always other people involved-- Shado, Slade, Sara, Maseo, Akio.  But Oliver wasn’t used to so many people working together without one clear vision, without one clear leader among them.  And that was beyond exhausting.

As if to make matters worse, now he had to tiptoe around issues to avoid hurting people’s feelings.  It wasn’t just about the job anymore, it was about the collateral damage, about the other people involved.

Diggle took a seat beside him and Oliver could feel the weight of the man’s eyes studying him carefully.  With a slow turn of his head, Oliver met his eyes.

“You might as well just say it,” Oliver gruffed.

Digg leaned forward, hands clasped on the table before him.  “Which family do you work for?”  His voice was steady and his face betrayed no emotion.

“What?” Oliver asked, shaking his head.  It was bad enough Tommy wanted in on all the secrets of the time he’d spent in Russia, but now this man who barely knew him needed to know too?

“Listen, I don’t really care one way or another,” he said, keeping his voice low.  “And whatever you want to keep from your friend is between you two, but I only go into things one way, and that’s with both eyes open.  So if you expect any help from Lyla and myself, you’ll tell me what family you’re working for.”

Oliver sighed.  “Knyazev,” he said after a long moment of thick silence.

“Bratva,” Diggle said with a shrug.  “You could do worse.”

Oliver half-scoffed, half-laughed, despite himself.  “And what do you know of it?”

“Lyla was stationed here for a while.  She’s had dealings with some of the families.  Not Knyazev, mind you, but that’s probably for the best.  She still has some contacts, but with a family as strong as theirs, perhaps your ties will be more… accommodating.”

“I can’t bring them into this,” Oliver said with another sigh, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms behind his head.  “Ivan’s participation is outside the knowledge of the family.  They wouldn’t be happy to know about our extracurricular activities, especially with as much as they’ve already done for me.”

Diggle leveled a stern look, pushing his seat back from the table and then pausing.  “I know it’s none of my business, but you should be honest with Tommy.  He can handle more than you think.  And his plan, crazy as it may be, is probably the best chance the three of you have at getting out of this thing.”

Oliver didn’t reply and made no effort to meet Diggle’s eyes, so the other man stood, leaving Oliver alone with his thoughts.  From where he sat he could see John and Lyla, bright smiles on their faces as they spoke in hushed whispers in the kitchen.  John’s hand brushed down the length of his wife’s arm and a pang of emotion-- one Oliver couldn’t immediately identify-- ran through him as he watched them.  Despite being in a small, crowded house, the moment between them felt intimate, too much so for him to be watching.  His eyes shifted, finding Tommy sitting in the living room with Felicity’s tablet on his lap.

Blowing out a long breath, Oliver stood and made his way to the couch, sitting on the opposite end as his friend.  “Farmville?” Oliver asked, quirking a brow.

Tommy bit back a grin, but glanced up to meet his eyes.  “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response,” he said, shaking his head.  “I’m actually just reading through some of the files Felicity decrypted.”  His hand went to his hair, raking his fingers against his scalp in tiredness or frustration, Oliver couldn’t tell which.  “Waller, she’s into some deep shit.”

“Tell me about it,” Oliver agreed.  “When you came to Hong Kong last year--”

“Ollie you don’t have to do this.”

Oliver held his hand up.  “When you came to Hong Kong last year, I’d been sent by Waller on an assassination.  I was on the roof of some building downtown with the target in my sights and the scope trained right on them.”  He cleared his throat, meeting Tommy’s eyes.  “It was you.”  He felt nervous for this, for admitting to Tommy what had happened back then.  Not because he was ashamed of what he’d done, because he’d done it to protect Tommy, but because this was a side of his life-- a side of the world, really-- that Oliver didn’t want his best friend subjected to.  

“I refused, outright.  I don’t think I’ve run across a rooftop harder in my life.  But Maseo made it clear to me that Waller would never let you live, not when you were snooping around because of that email I sent.”  He scrubbed a hand down his face, as if trying rid himself of the memories.  “He said if it wasn’t me, she’d just send someone else to do it.  I thought we could switch out bodies, find some cadaver matching your description and just send you home, but I’m sure you can guess how easy that would be in the middle of Hong Kong. Instead I decided that kidnapping you, holding you for ransom, making you believe I was dead…” he paused, remembering how cold his own blood had run that day.  He’d nearly broken, listening to his best friend plead for his life.  He remembered how it had only hardened him, sinking him further into the abyss of darkness he’d been swallowed by so long ago that he could barely remember the light.  Finally, after a long moment he spoke again.  “That was the only way to keep you safe.  I don’t regret doing it either, because it’s the only reason why you aren’t buried in an unmarked grave in Hong Kong right now.”

Tommy seemed to take all of this in, to digest it in quiet reflection.  Oliver nearly stood to leave, when his friend spoke with a fervent nod.  “I know.”

His eyes and mind a flurry of confusion, Oliver looked back at his friend.

“I know,” Tommy said again.  “Or at least I suspected.  It took me a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of frustration and anger and,” he averted his eyes, which were filled to the brim with unshed tears, and shifted in his seat.  “Once I met her and realized exactly what she was capable of, I knew that whatever you’d done, whatever led you to this place and who you are now, it was just because you were doing what you needed to do to survive.”  He sighed, chewing on the inside of his cheek.  “Whatever secrets you feel you need to keep, I’ll understand.”

Oliver nodded, clapping a hand over Tommy’s shoulder before standing.  “I’ve got to make a phone call,” he said, before his mind could even make sense of it.  A sense of calm settled around him, making him believe that maybe, just maybe, going home again would be possible.

He slipped upstairs for some privacy in order to call Anatoly, to tell him that he’d made his decision and that he was leaving, that he was recommending Ivan for his position as Captain, and someday, as the head of the brotherhood, for whatever his two cents meant to the man.  He pulled his phone out, walking to the end of the hall and leaning against the wall.  The door to the bedroom was cracked, and Oliver could see Felicity’s reflection in the mirror, carefully pulling a brush through her blonde hair.

Oliver turned, quickly dialing Anatoly’s number.  He would have to tell the man what had transpired, why he had left so suddenly earlier and gotten Yury to cover for him, and that he’d finally made the decision to leave.  There was no answer, however, and rather than leave a message, he hung up, spinning back around toward the door.

Felicity stood there in yet another set of clothes borrowed from Sofia.  He could only tell because the shirt clung a little tighter to her curves than he was certain she would feel comfortable with.  His eyes travelled up her length to meet hers, where a look of indifference lit her features.

“Calling in the cavalry?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Oliver took a step forward and she turned, retreating into the bedroom.  Inside was a single twin size bed, and he felt himself exhale a little more than necessary.  He couldn’t have imagined any sort of conversation that involved who would be sharing a bed, so he would make sure she took it, and that he and Tommy slept on the floor.

“Not exactly,” he answered, following her into the room and swiftly shutting the door behind him.  “About what you said downstairs…”

Felicity turned back toward him and he couldn’t make out her expression.  She pursed her lips, waiting for him to continue.

“I’m not good at the having faith thing,” he cleared his throat, eyes falling to the floor.  “But knowing that… someone… might have faith in me, after everything.”  He darted a glance up to her eyes and felt himself shift under the weight of her stare.  “It means a lot.”

“That just might be the closest thing to an apology as I’ve heard from you,” she snarked, taking a seat on the bed.  Her hands went behind her head, fingers deftly working her blonde locks into a braid.  “And I know that everything I said to you was about Tommy.”  She finished with the braid over her shoulder, wrapping an elastic band around it and dropping her hands into her lap, her eyes following them there as she cleared her throat.  “But it isn’t just Tommy that has faith in you.”

If Oliver’s conversation with Tommy had restored hope in his being able to come home, then his conversation with Felicity ignited something altogether foreign within him.  He wasn’t sure what to label it, but it locked him in place, unable to move, unable to breathe, for fear of breaking the spell.

When he finally found his feet, Oliver took a step forward at the same time that Felicity stood, putting just fractions of inches between them.  Swallowing hard, and before he could change his mind, Oliver cupped her face in his hands, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.  The moment lasted forever as they breathed each other in.  Felicity was warm and soft, flower petals and sunshine to his jagged edges.  And this time, she didn’t pull away.  In fact, she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, leaning into him, sharing her warmth and stealing his breath all in one swift movement.  Everything around him buzzed electric, until all he could hear was the thumping of his pulse in his ears.

Except it wasn’t his pulse, but footsteps on the stairs.  Oliver took a step back, breaking them apart, leaving an empty, hollow, gaping hole where her warmth had been.  The footsteps stopped just before a knock sounded on the door.

\---

For the first real moment since he’d locked eyes with Oliver on the street, Tommy felt relief flood through him. Because no matter what had happened, no matter the time or distance, or blood spilled between them, Oliver would always be his best friend, his brother. And Tommy was willing to give him whatever space he needed to sort things out. 

But now that he had a moment to himself, he couldn’t help the fear that crept through his mind. Their plan against Waller would only work if Felicity managed to get something incriminating against the woman, something she’d be willing to negotiate over. But it that was only if things went well. There was a piece he hadn’t wanted to say out loud, something that had been gnawing at him since he’d sent Waller the invite. 

Tommy was basing their entire strategy on the idea that Waller wouldn’t sacrifice her secrets just for a couple of assets, but he’d only had one meeting with the woman. And if he’d learned anything from their talk together, he learned she was far more dangerous than that. He needed to come up with a back up plan before the gala. Something that was sure to block all future moves Waller could think of making. And he had to do it alone. 

Felicity’s tablet beeped in his hands, and the sound pulled him out of his thoughts. The device had finally finished decrypting the files. He looked over to Diggle and Lyla, but the two were locked in a quiet conversation. He didn’t have a desire to pull them out of their bubble just yet. Instead he got up, and went in search of Oliver and Felicity.

He took the stairs as quick as possible, looking around the hall. The room to his left was open and empty, so he turned to the right, knocking on the closed door. He looked down making sure he didn’t jostle Felicity’s tablet too much in his near sprint. He knew how angry the blonde would be if he damaged the thing. 

The door whipped open, Oliver standing there with a strange look on his face. Honestly if Tommy had to place it, he’d say it reminded him of when they were young and Oliver would get caught doing something he thought he shouldn’t, which happened a lot. 

“Hey you get lost after your call?” Tommy joked stepping into the room. “Have you seen Felicity her decryption is--” he paused, finally looking up to see Felicity standing before him, her lips pressed together. “Done.”

“Tommy, hey. Oliver and I were just clearing the tension. Air. Clearing the air,” she said taking a deep breath, as she looked anywhere but his face. 

He watched how her gaze skated to Oliver, but neither seemed eager to maintain eye contact. He knew he had interrupted something.

He knew on some level he was jealous, as a ping of realization settled into his stomach. But he was also surprised by the fact that he wasn’t really that upset. Besides it wasn’t the time to try and sort out emotional entanglements. Maybe when someone wasn’t hell bent on using them as pawns.

“Right,” he said forcing a smile on his face, praying they went with him in acting like he hadn’t just interrupted them. “Like I said, the software finished so we should probably start assessing the data. See if there’s anything we can use.”

“Of course,” Felicity shook herself from her stupor, taking the tablet from his hands. She clicked her way into the program with a look of determination. 

Oliver seemed to be hovering closer to him, crossing his arms as he slid his gaze over carefully. Tommy recognized the action. He had watched Diggle and Lyla do it to him countless times over the last few weeks. Felicity may have been assessing the data, but Oliver was assessing him. 

“There’s some things we should talk about,” Oliver said, clearing his throat. “Things about after we deal with Waller.”

“Let’s tackle one problem at a time, buddy,” Tommy quipped with a smirk. “We have time.”

Tommy could tell Oliver wanted to say more, but instead he clamped his mouth shut.

“Checkmate,” Felicity said, drawing both of their attention to her. 

“You found something useful already?” Oliver questioned, his tone only slightly tinged with surprise. Tommy had to give him credit, he’d learned pretty quick not to underestimate Felicity’s abilities.

“I found something called ‘Checkmate’, if it’s useful has yet to be determined,” she replied with a smirk. “But come on, scary organization, giving things codenames. Literally never good. Also it seems to link to all these other files labeled ‘Task Force X’.”

“She has a point,” Tommy mused with a grin to Oliver, who just rolled his eyes. But Tommy could see the faint smile on his face. “Wait did you say Checkmate?”

She looked up in confusion. “Yeah, does it mean something to you?” 

“Means something to someone in this house,” Tommy muttered, as he moved towards the door. he turned back to them. “This is the type of conversation we need to be sharing.”

He didn’t turn back as he headed from the room. But he could hear Felicity and Oliver’s steps behind him as they descended the stairs. 

Diggle and Lyla were in the living room, seated together on the small sofa when the three of them entered. The couple looked up but Lyla spoke first.

“We were wondering when you guys were going to reemerge.”

“You said project Checkmate was a team,” Tommy said, coming up short just in front of her. “One Waller disbanded because of funding.”

“That’s the intel I was given,” Lyla replied, raising her brow. “But who knows what Waller was really up to.”

“We do,” Felicity cut in as she moved further into the space. “According to this file, project Checkmate was a beta run for a specialized task force Waller was trying to get her superiors to sign off on.”

“What kind of task force?” Oliver had taken to standing beside Felicity now. 

“High-risk, black-ops, type things,” Felicity said, as her eyes scanned the file. “‘Though the candidates for project Checkmate, showed loyalty to the cause and strength within their given parameters. They lack the capacity to override their moral grounds and finish a mission as needed. It is my recommendation, as director, to scrub the project, and remove the candidates from the board. Save for Agent Michaels whose leadership qualities are likely to be useful with future projects, such as Task Force X.’”

The room went silent as the words settled. Tommy felt a rolling sickness settle in his stomach, and he watched as Felicity’s hands seemed to tremble on the device.

“How many people worked on the project?” Diggle asked, his hand coming to rest on Lyla’s, giving her the strength she needed to finally look up.

“There were at least a dozen of us, maybe more,” she said, shaking her head. “Johnny if I had known about this--”

“No one is blaming you for anything,” Digg replied, his free hand resting on her cheek. “This isn’t on you, it’s on her.”

“I told Waller that I didn’t think some of them had what it took to do the morally grey things she suggested. I told her that she had to let everyone find a way to work out the problem together. Otherwise what was the point of a team. Her decision to terminate the project, to end those people’s lives-- that’s my fault.”

“It’s not,” Oliver spoke up, meeting her eyes. “Waller chose the path she’s on, but she didn’t give anyone in this room a choice. You made a judgment call because you thought you were doing what was right. You couldn’t have known what she’d do with it.”

Lyla gave him a small nod as she molded herself to Diggle’s side. Tommy gave them both a smile, before mouthing a thank you towards his friend. He was pretty sure Oliver’s words weren’t just meant for Lyla, but for himself as well. 

Felicity groaned looking up from the tablet, as she let out a deep sigh. “So more news. Some good, some not so good.”

“What’s the good news?” Tommy asked. Because he honestly needed a buffer before anything worse reached his ears. 

“It looks like Waller’s superiors are not on board with the task force. A lot of these documents site the catastrophic downsides, the liability risks, how much of a spotlight it could place ARGUS under. They’ve been pretty vocal against it.”

“Okay, but how’s that help?” Digg looked between them and Lyla. “If the task force isn’t happening, all we have is a document implicating Lyla in a mass killing of a dozen people for ARGUS.”

“That’s where the bad news comes into play,” Felicity said, as she took a deep breath. “Waller’s going ahead with the project without authorization from higher ups. By her own definition this is treason against a US government department.”

Tommy smiled, looking over to her. “I thought you said this was bad news? That’s amazing. We could nail her with this.”

“That’s not the bad part,” Felicity paused, giving him a hard look before she looked over to lock eyes with Oliver. “Your name is at the top of her short list for the task force.”

\---

Felicity felt herself freaking out, even if she tried to keep her composure as best as possible.  It wasn’t easy, especially in light of everything she’d just read regarding Waller’s previous attempts at putting together this task force and how many high ranking officials were vehemently against it. But she dropped her gaze from Oliver’s as soon as the words had left her mouth.  She was sure if she looked his way again, he’d see it in her eyes.  Sometime between the dodging bullets and arguments in his cramped apartment, Felicity had grown to have a regard for Oliver beyond just helping Tommy get him home.  And that scared the crap out of her.

“Felicity?”

A hand waved in front of her face, snapping her from her thoughts.  “Sorry,” she said, shaking her head clear and scanning the four sets of eyes staring back at her.

“The other names?” Tommy asked, taking a step toward her, brow furrowed in concern.  “On the short list?”

“Right,” Felicity said, giving them a tight smile.  “Floyd Lawton, Digger Harkness, Dr. Harleen Quinzell.  Do those mean anything to any of you?”

“Lawton is a mercenary,” Lyla sighed.  “He goes by Deadshot and it’s rumored that he tattoos the name of every one of his hits onto his body… himself.”

“Talk about your steady hand,” Felicity quipped, trying to keep her head on the mission at hand.  She would have plenty of time later that night when she wasn’t sleeping to think about whatever there was or wasn’t between her and Oliver.  But it wasn’t an especially easy thing to put from her mind.  Because he’d kissed her, and she’d… she’d kissed him back.

“I can’t believe Waller would ever have control over someone like that,” Felicity said, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.  “Guns for hire are usually rogue, right?  I mean they work a job for the highest bidder, get paid, move on to the next.  Why would he stay under anyone’s command?”

“Well,” Tommy said with a sigh.  “She does seem to be particularly adept at exploiting people’s weaknesses.”

“We can’t assume anything one way or another with her,” Diggle piped in.  “But I think with this new information, we have the leverage we need to keep her from coming after the three of you.  We just have to present it to her properly.”

“At the gala,” Felicity supplied, and Diggle nodded.

“We control where it goes down.  Lead her to a room away from the party, get her alone, prove to her what we have and if she doesn’t agree, we go public, leak it to everyone in the gala.”  John seemed to want to add more, but he stayed quiet for now, seemingly working through the details in his head.

Felicity felt her own confidence grow the more they spoke.  John requested a blueprint of the embassy building, which she quickly punched up on her tablet.  They moved to the dining room and she placed the tablet in the center of the table watching as John and Lyla moved and planned like a unit, completely in sync with one another.  Oliver made a comment here and there about escape routes and worst case scenarios, but for the most part it seemed like John and Lyla were heading up the planning.

Leaning back against her chair, Felicity felt a fog settle over her brain; it had been a long, completely exhausting day.  And she never was able to get that coffee she’d gone out for.  Never in a million years had she thought things would play out like this, even once she and Tommy got to Hong Kong and ran into Maseo.  Even after she’d gotten the fake lead and learned that Lyla and John were agents.  She’d still expected that the reunion between Oliver and Tommy would be quiet and composed-- a long, tight hug in a hotel lobby like you see on television.

But this wasn’t a tv show, it was real life, messy and complicated and utterly unpredictable.  Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but she made a point to listen to the plans, even as she closed them.  They spoke of tactical advantages and operatives in a way that would put James Bond to shame.  

She must have fallen asleep because a gentle, warm hand on her shoulder roused her sometime later.  The planning had been finished and the house was quiet and mostly dark.  Felicity rubbed the sleep from her eyes before glancing up to find Lyla standing behind her.

“Hey,” Lyla said quietly.  “I can’t imagine that’s comfortable, why don’t you head upstairs?”

Felicity yawned and nodded, feeling the tightness in her back from sleeping at such a harsh angle.  She stood, glancing around the small house for any other signs of life.  Oliver and Tommy were in the kitchen talking quietly.  At her movement, Oliver glanced up, meeting her eyes and she felt a shiver run down her spine, the memory of his lips against hers catching her off guard.

She dropped her gaze, the still-present drowsiness in her head making her feel vulnerable and exposed.  She moved toward the stairs but stopped on the bottom step, turning back to Lyla.  “I don’t think I’ve said this yet,” she said tucking stray blonde hair from her braid behind her ears.  “But for everything you’ve done since Paris, becoming a fugitive from your own boss, for keeping Tommy safe when I wasn’t with him and keeping us both safe when we were together.”  She sighed, feeling tears stinging the corners of her eyes as the weight of the whole thing settled around her.  “Thank you, Lyla.”

“I just did what was right,” Lyla said, shaking her head dismissively.

“You did above and beyond what anyone should ever be asked to do,” Felicity answered.  “And clearly Waller knows that you are a force to be reckoned with.”

“As are you,” the brunette said with a knowing look.  “She would have cut her losses by now if you weren’t.”

Felicity wasn’t sure whether she should be flattered or terrified.  There was a question at the tip of her tongue and she turned halfway back toward the stairs before she gathered the courage to ask it.  “Tommy and I are going to be the bait for Waller, aren’t we?” Felicity asked quietly.

“Not exactly.”  Lyla gave her a reassuring smile before adding, “you and I will be.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've gotten lots of awesome comments, speculation and questions about the coming chapters and let me just say, we are VERY excited for you all to see how everything shakes out. We hope you enjoy!
> 
> xoxo,  
> Cassie

 

Even though it seemed like everything was falling into place for the gala, Oliver still had a tightening in his chest every time Tommy or Felicity discussed being in the same room as Waller. He wanted nothing more than to grab the both of them in the dead of night and run, as selfish as that sounded. But he didn’t care. He couldn’t let them get hurt, not because of him. Not again.

Then he’d look over to Diggle and Lyla, and guilt would pool in his stomach.The couple had already risked their lives for him and his friends at least half a dozen times. He couldn’t just cut and run, leaving them with the vicious aftermath. 

He had to believe the plan would work, because without it he’d never get to go home. He’d never see Thea or his mother again. And for the first time in ages Oliver’s desire to return had him dreaming of the future instead of the usual nightmares of the past. He could see himself there, living the life he thought had died on Lian Yu. And with his father’s notebook pressed in his hand, he thought maybe he could actually do the things Robert thought he was capable of. 

It was a feeling Oliver hadn’t had in years, one that took ages for him to name. But once he did the word sat in his mind with a freeing relief.  _ Hope. _ And he knew who he had to thank for the renewal inside of him.

Felicity was across the room talking strategy with Lyla, while Oliver tried to listen to Tommy and Diggle. He knew he didn’t look focused on either man next to him, but they were lucky he hadn’t pulled Felicity from the room already. 

It had been two days since their kiss, and considering the more pressing issues on hand, there wasn’t time to talk about it. Not that he really wanted to talk, he just wanted to kiss her again. To feel her body curved along his, as he pressed his lips to her neck. He wanted their reality to fall away and for it to just be them. 

“Oliver?”

He shook his head, focusing his attention on Tommy. His friend was giving him an all too familiar look. But he couldn’t talk to Tommy about this, not until he and Felicity had a conversation. One that hopefully ended in more than just talking. 

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat like it would clear his thoughts away. “What’s up?”

“Your phone’s been buzzing on and off for five minutes,” Digg gestured to the coffee table. “You might want to answer it.”

Oliver picked up his cell, which began to ring again, and tried to hid his cringe when he read the screen. He didn’t want Tommy to hear his conversation, even if he had decided that it was time to let his friend in on some of his dealing from the last few years. It wasn’t the time. Not until they were far from Waller and the Bratva. 

Oliver waited until he was out of the room before accepting the call, pressing his phone to his ear. “Anatoly, hello.”

“What’s going on?” his boss sounded agitated and annoyed. A combination Oliver wouldn’t like on anyone, and certainly not the head of the Bratva. 

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” 

“You and Ivan, missing from duty for two days. Sick is what you both claim,” but nothing in Anatoly’s voice hinted that he believed the story. “Then you asked Yury to assist in a special project. Anyone in my position would be worried Oliver. Mikhail thinks I should cut my losses with the three of you. Give me a reason not to do that.”

Oliver let out a long sigh, pressing his knuckle to his forehead. He knew he couldn’t keep dodging Anatoly. He had to tell the man what he’d decided. But he knew the second he did he’d lose the connections he had. And he still needed Ivan and Yury as backup for the gala. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t put Tommy and Felicity in a situation where they wouldn’t be 100% protected.

“Anatoly, I need a little bit of time. I promise that nothing is happening here that you need to worry about.”

“That’s the thing Oliver, to trust a promise, you must trust in the man. And you are giving me every reason not to trust you,” he paused, the words sinking in for Oliver. “Meet me at the restaurant in fifteen minutes. If you do not come, we will have a problem.”

Oliver dropped his phone into his pocket, letting his head fall back against the wall in a light thud.

“Everything okay?” 

His eyes snapped open at the sound of Felicity’s voice, and he could feel the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She was close, closer than they’d been able to get to each other in over 48 hours, and Oliver was having a hard time not pulling her to him. He looked around her, but none of the others had followed her into the hall. He couldn’t help the wave of relief at that. He still needed to talk to Tommy about things. And that wasn’t a conversation he wanted prompted by his friend observing too much. 

“Yeah, it’s business related,” he replied with a slow nod, knowing she’d understand what he meant. “I have to go out for a while. But I’ll be back before the gala.”

“Oh,” her gaze dropped as a flicker of despair settled in her eyes. “Okay.”

“Felicity,” he paused, reaching his hand across the space to settle on her cheek. “I think--”

“We should talk. About a lot of things,” her eyes met his again and they both smiled. 

“And we will.”

He was trying to tell her all he was feeling, everything that jumbled and twisted in him. The things she could make him feel were shaping him back into someone less broken. And he wanted her to know how grateful he was for that. But not yet. Not while Waller was still a threat, not while Anatoly was creating a whole other set of issues. Just not yet.

She pushed herself up on her toes, being that she was considerably shorter than he was with heels, and currently shoeless, and pressed her lips to his. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her steady as they kissed. He let his thoughts fade away, filling only with Felicity. And he would have kept going too, if she hadn’t pulled back first.

“I should let you go then,” she whispered her breathing shallow as she was still so close to his face. “We can finish this later. And by ‘this’ I mean our talking not the other stuff. But we should continue that too. If you want. I mean maybe you don’t--”

“Felicity,” he cut her off with a smile. “We will continue this later.”

She moved from his space, leaving him again with the prickling chill that washed over him every time he let her go. 

She passed Ivan as she walked back into the living room. 

“We have to go see Anatoly,” Oliver said, not giving the other enough time to reply. “You’re driving.”

He grabbed Ivan and was out the door in minutes. If there was one thing Oliver had learned in his time in Moscow, it was that when Anatoly asked for something, the only thing to do was comply. Ivan drove to the restaurant and they spent the moments in silence, and Oliver spent the time debating how much to tell the man who had given him so much over the last few months.

“Ah look my wayward captain, and his favorite enforcer,” Anatoly greeted when they stepped into the back room. “It’s good to see whatever you caught did not kill either of you.”

Oliver could feel Ivan’s eyes on him, urging him to take the lead, and Oliver didn’t have a problem with that. He’d accepted the position of captain of his own free will. He had to relinquish it the same way. 

“About that, I might not have been all that forthcoming with why I needed time away,” he replied taking a step closer. “Something came up.”

“You mean the gala taking place this evening at the US embassy? Is that the something that came up?” Anatoly’s face was a mask, devoid of emotion. If Oliver heard annoyance in his voice earlier, the man had made quick work of disguising it now. “Were you planning on letting me know that my men would be assisting in security for an event crawling with police and diplomats?”

Oliver had a harder time keeping a mask up, of lying under such close scrutiny.

“Do not look so surprised, Oliver,” the man said, motioning them both to come further into the room. “Let yourself remember one thing. I did not get to where I am today by luck. Nothing, and I mean nothing happens in my city without my knowledge. So that includes your friend’s little publicity stunt. What was his plan? Plaster your face on every foreign news outlet? And then we have reporters and agencies crawling the city to find out how someone who’s boat went down off the coast of China could end up in Russia? You see how this could be bad for business.”

“That wasn’t the intention,” he replied, his teeth gritting together. “We have a plan to take Waller out of the equation, possibly for good.”

“A woman like Amanda Waller will never be quieted. Not even death can silence a force like that,” he paused taking a deep breath. “That is why she is where she is, why they allow her to do what she does. And you want to send two of  _ my  _ men into her clutches.”

“I don’t want any of this,” Oliver eyed him closely as he tried to keep his temper level. “But I’m not about to let people I care about go up against this woman alone. They need me. And I need back up.”

Oliver wasn’t sure what he’d expected his boss to do, but it certainly wasn’t what happened. Anatoly turned away from a moment, coming back with three glasses and a bottle of vodka.

He unscrewed the cap slowly, watching Oliver closely. “I am not a heartless man Oliver. I think you and I have known each other long enough for you to get a sense of who I am. And I do understand protecting the ones you love. But the Bratva is not a group for hire. It is a family. I will allow you to use both Ivan and Yury, and whomever else is free for this endeavour. But this is the time for you to choose. If I allow you the help, then you are choosing the Bratva as your family. Which means once this evening is over, your friends leave and you accept your place with our family without reservation.”

Anatoly poured the liquor into the glasses, passing one to Ivan first, then holding the other out to Oliver. 

“What will it be Queen?” 

Oliver felt bile sliding up his throat, but he pushed it down. He knew the right choice, the one that he should make. But he also knew that if he made it, Felicity and Tommy could die or worse by Amanda Waller’s hands. And he couldn’t let that happen. 

He reached out and took the drink, not dropping his gaze from Anatoly. “ Prochnost .”

“ Prochnost,” Ivan parroted next to him, downing the drink. 

“Prochnost,” Anatoly finished with a smile. “Do not look so grim Oliver. There’s an old Russian saying, ‘The same hammer that shatters glass, forges steel’. Perhaps this is just your time to strengthen. You will have half a dozen men for tonight. Pick well, they will be your new outfit for as long as you hold the position of captain.”

Oliver nodded, but he didn’t move. He wasn’t sure how to anymore. How could he go back to Tommy knowing he had just willing sold his freedom to the Bratva? How could he expect to look Felicity in the eye after this? He knew one thing for sure, there wasn’t enough vodka in Russia to prepare him for either of those conversations.

\---

Tommy and Diggle were just coming up the stairs from sparring in the basement as Oliver and Ivan left.  Tommy glanced around the open space, trying to find Felicity for any sort of information on what was going on.

“He got a phone call,” she said with a shrug when she spotted him.  “They left pretty quick.”  She leaned against the door frame that separated the kitchen and dining rooms.

“Something with the gala tonight?” Tommy asked, moving to the fridge for a bottle of water.  

“Not sure,” she answered, turning back to the dining room and reclaiming her seat at the table.  Tommy followed her, sitting near the other end.  He’d been careful to keep some distance between them the last couple of days, not entirely feeling like she wanted him around.

Being cooped up in the house for two and a half days was starting to get to them all, thankfully they seemed to have worked out their own coping mechanisms for getting through the hours.  Felicity seemed to keep to herself on her tablet, avoiding being alone in a room with anyone other than Lyla.  Tommy, Oliver and Diggle spent a decent amount of time in the basement, sparring and working off the pent up anxiety over the impending gala.  Anything to pass the time and keep their minds off of the one thing everyone was thinking: they would all be face to face with Amanda Waller in less time than any of them were comfortable with.  Tommy just hoped they’d all make it out alive.

Ivan had gotten Tommy a new burner phone to use for the gala preparations, and it rang in his pocket for the umpteenth time that morning.  Tommy wasn’t used to planning anything quite this intricate.  Most of his parties back home consisted of a ton of booze, a DJ and a fuzzy memory the next morning.  This was nothing like that, with a hundred little decisions needing to be made.

He pulled the phone from his pocket, answering it immediately.  “Hello?” he said, motioning Lyla to come closer.  She and Ivan had fielded most of the calls, since Tommy didn’t actually speak Russian.

“Imagine my surprise when I showed up to the US Embassy this morning only to find that my son hasn’t actually been here yet.”

“Dad,” Tommy said, sitting up a little straighter, as if his father could hear him slouching through the phone.  “I was actually just about to head over there to make sure everything was going according to plan.”

“Holed up in some hotel room with your new ‘bodyguard’? Malcolm sneered.

Lyla lunged for the phone, but Tommy held up a hand, moving swiftly out of his seat and away from where she stood seething. 

“No,” Tommy sighed.  “I’ve been getting everything else sorted.  Why don’t you go to your hotel-- or visit the office in Istra.  I’m sure every building with the MG logo on it could benefit from a visit from the CEO.  I will be at the embassy shortly and I will be there all day.  You can stop by later to check on the preparations if you’re really that worried about your image being tainted.”

“That image will be yours one day, Tommy.  Try to remember that.”

The line went dead and Tommy dropped the phone onto the table, wiping his hands down his face.

“I can’t believe I actually used to respect that man,” Felicity said, nearly under her breath.

Tommy laughed, deep and heartily.  He leaned on the table before pushing out a long breath.  “I’m going to shower quick and then we really probably should head out.”  He looked back to Lyla.  “You going to be able to keep from pummeling my father tonight?”

“I’ll restrain myself,” she said dryly.

“That may make one of us,” he breathed, turning toward the stairs.  “Dresses and tuxes can be picked up any time today, so we should go on the way to the embassy.  No need to draw more attention to ourselves in that bullet hole riddled SUV than necessary.”

Several moments later, Tommy felt slightly more grounded as he made his way back down the stairs.  All of his things had been gathered into a duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder and he placed it at the bottom of the stairs as he sought out Felicity.  Nothing after tonight was a guarantee, he needed to be prepared for anything.

He found her sitting cross-legged on the couch with her tablet in her lap as she peeled an orange.  “Hey,” he said, sitting down beside her.

Felicity glanced up, offering him a warm smile.  “Excited about tonight?” she asked.

“If by excited, you mean utterly terrified, then yes I can’t wait.”  He cleared his throat, turning to face her.  “I’m actually looking forward to hopefully being done with Waller once and for all, so if there’s anything I’m truthfully excited about, it’s that.”  He grinned and then added, “And of course being in a tux.”

She laughed, and he wondered if she recalled their conversation on his sofa so long ago it felt like decades, when he’d told her how much he hated them.

“You’ll be a real-life James Bond tonight,” she said, smacking his shoulder.  “How do you feel about that?”

This was what he’d missed most about being separated from her for so long-- the easy banter, the lightness he felt when she was around, the way everything just felt less dire.  The peacefulness settled over him nearly instantly and he was sure, for the first time in what felt like forever, that things were going to be alright.

“I feel pretty good about it,” he said, and he meant it.

“I guess we should probably get going,” Felicity said, offering him half of her peeled orange.

Tommy nodded, accepting the fruit and popping a segment into his mouth.  He stood, offering her a hand up off the couch, which she took with no reservation.  He’d tried not to think about whatever it was that had happened between Felicity and Oliver a few nights ago, when he’d knocked on the bedroom door they’d been closed behind.  It wasn’t his business, but it had made them both squirrelly ever since, and if it compromised whatever they were gearing up for later that night, then maybe it was better to just get it all out in the open before that.  But standing in front of her now, Tommy couldn’t bring himself to ask.  Besides, he’d offered privacy to Oliver about anything he’d been through, shouldn’t that extend to Felicity as well?

“Car’s packed up,” Lyla said, coming into the living room.  Ivan had done half a dozen supply runs for them over the last couple of days.  Most of it was wires and cables and things Felicity would need for a PA system in the embassy in case Waller didn’t cooperate, but Oliver had requested some things from his apartment as well.  Lyla had instructed Ivan on how to check and lose a tail in the car, although to his knowledge, he’d never been tracked.

John came down the stairs carrying the last two bags and Tommy picked up his duffle as well.  It felt like a moment for last rites or a pep talk or something, but they were all quiet as they filed out into the car.  Lyla was back behind the wheel with John in the front seat beside her.  Tommy and Felicity ducked into the back seat and he tried to ignore the gnawing in his stomach at the windows that had been blown out from gunfire just a few days earlier as he closed the door.   _ Twelve more hours,  _ he told himself.  He just had to make it through twelve more hours.

\---

“Excuse me,” Felicity said, as she came to the side of the stage. A man stood there, his hands deep in the wires of the PA system as he looked at her. “Yeah, maybe we didn’t have an understanding before. See I need you and whoever else may touch this to not do that. Okay I have a system, and you’re disrupting it.”

“Prosti,” he replied stepping back. “Mr. Merlyn asked that staff check system.”

“Okay but I am telling you that I have it covered,” she was trying to hard not to raise her voice at the staff, but it was literally the third time he’d been messing with things after she’d fixed them. “And if you do it again--”

“Felicity, there you are,” Tommy came over cutting her off. He gave the man a grin. “Iona wasn’t it? I’m sure Merlyn senior wouldn’t be too upset if you’d relinquish control of things over to our technical support.”

“I meet the man only for five minutes, I think he would be,” Iona replied with a look of slight terror. 

“Well I promise if he gets angry I’ll slide in the line of fire,” Tommy said before the young man walked off. Tommy waited until he was out of earshot before turning back to Felicity. “You okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she replied. Because she was. Really. Despite the fact that she had about six hours of work to squeeze into three, and ARGUS was on it’s way to be terrifying, then of course there was the Bratva member’s who had come in at staggering intervals over the last couple of hours. Oh and Oliver still hadn’t shown up. “Why do ask?”

“Because you almost took that man’s head off with your tablet,” Tommy quipped with a smirk. “I know he keeps touching the box, but go easy on the kid. He did get thoroughly berated by my father already today. And I’m sure you can fix this before show time.”

“And if I can’t?” Felicity countered spinning on her heels. She took a breath before dropping her voice. “I mean I’m not a superhero here Tommy. I’m a real person, who isn’t all that confident that she can rewire a Russian electrical system in enough time as we need it to done.”

“You seemed fine before we left, what changed between then and now?”

What had changed? That was the question that kept creeping back to the forefront of her brain the more the nerves spread through her. Maybe it was the time away from their small bubble, or the fact that this was the longest she’d been out in the open of Russia since arriving? She felt exposed. Like a target was sighted right on her, and it was really messing with her. 

“I just…” But she couldn’t tell him, could she? That every bump in between Ivan’s and the embassy had her clinging to the door? That she had slid her eyes closed in an effort to picture her and Tommy with Oliver, safe from the outside world? She was so afraid of what could happen tonight, she could barely focus on what needed to happen first. “I’m ready for this to be over.”

“Are you sure that’s it? If you need to talk Felicity, I’m not going anywhere.” 

She nodded, forcing a smile to her face. She watched Oliver for weeks battling with the demons in his own head and still being able to move forward. She knew she could handle this, there was no reason to worry Tommy. 

“I am sure,” she took a breath, nudging his shoulder with her hand. “But thank you. You have been a great friend. One of the best I have ever had.”

“Well back at you,” he teased with a smirk. “I mean don’t tell you know who though.”

“And who are we speaking of?” 

Felicity froze at the same time the smile slipped from Tommy’s face. He looked like he wanted to do anything but turn around, but he stood up tall, whipping around to face his father.

“Dad, I assumed you’d stay at the office until the gala started, or at least your hotel. I mean what better photo op than the CEO making his grand entrance,” Tommy said and Felicity could see the tension settle in his shoulders. Apparently mixing one part Amanda Waller with one part Malcolm Merlyn wasn’t good for the nerves. In fact Felicity was starting to think she would need a drink before the evening progressed. 

“Forgive me for not trusting in your ability to pull this off without my help,” Malcolm said, sizing up Tommy’s attire. “Please tell me  _ that _ is not what you are wearing tonight? This is a press event Thomas.”

Even Felicity wrinkled her nose at that. Tommy wasn’t the type who liked to be called by his full name, and she’d never heard Malcolm resort to doing so either. 

“No  _ Father, _ ” Tommy replied with as much venom in the word as he could muster in a civilized setting. “I plan on changing into my tux soon. Don’t worry it’s Armani.”

“Good, at least you’ve gotten something right for this evening,” Malcolm smirked, and Felicity had to hold herself back from rolling her eyes. He was still her boss after all. 

As if he had just noticed her standing there, Malcolm’s face shifted as stepped around Tommy. “Miss Smoak, you’ve returned to work I see? Tommy failed to mention that.”

“Well it’s not like you give me much of a chance to speak,” Tommy muttered, before checking his watch. “I need to go speak with the caterers quickly. You’ll be okay while I’m gone?”

Felicity nodded, watching him as he walked off. Malcolm stayed with her, and she realized he was waiting for her to continue their conversation.

“It was a recent return,”  _ Like this is the first work for MG I’ve done in months _ , she added in her head. “I wanted to be here for the gala and the silent auction. It’s a worthy cause.”

“It’s a manipulative tactic my son has devised to sink more money into a useless endeavor,” Malcolm slid a glance at the direction Tommy went. “He doesn’t seem to think his old man is smart enough to catch on to his real motive.”

“And what would that be Mr. Merlyn?” She knew she shouldn’t challenge the man. One he was her boss, two he was Tommy’s father, three his company was funding the event, and four she was getting a nefarious vibe off him. But still she couldn’t help it. “I assumed it was to build funds to aid locating in missing people. What could be a more noble cause then reuniting families?”

“So he hasn’t confided in you?”

She recognized the look in his eyes, and it sent a chill through her. It was the same look she’d seen in Waller’s eyes that day in the cafe. The look of someone who was calculating their way through their speech, trying to find a vulnerable opening. 

“I know about his missing friend, Oliver, if that’s what you mean? I know his absence is a weight Tommy will always carry with him. And that not knowing what happened to someone you care about, can be worse than knowing they died.”

“I see,” Malcolm gave her a smile she couldn’t decipher. “Speaking of families could you do me a favor and add a couple people to the guest list for tonight?”

“Of course, sir,” Even if the last thing she ever wanted to do again was take an order from Malcolm Merlyn.

“Thank you, Miss Smoak,” Malcolm replied as he turned to leave. “Just make sure Walter Steele and Moira and Thea Queen are on the list.”

Felicity froze at his words not believing she heard him correctly. “I’m sorry sir, you said the Queen’s were coming?”

“Yes, they’re old family friends and when I told Moira about Tommy’s gala, she insisted they come and show their support,” Malcolm gave her a confused look. “Is that going to be an issue?”

“No,” she replied, maybe a bit quicker than she meant to but it didn’t matter.

Malcolm was slinking off, probably to find another person to intimidate into doing something for him. All the while she had to now add Oliver’s mother and sister to the same list as Amanda Waller. She could feel her nerves igniting again. She didn’t know how the night would end, and at this point she was too afraid to think past the next couple of minutes. 


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dears,  
> Who's ready for the gala? Probably not our heroes. But they don't really have a choice in the matter.  
> Let's proceed.  
> xoxo,  
> Kayla
> 
> P.S. I wanted to say if anyone ever wants to chat more about the fic, Cassie and I are always open to answer questions on tumblr. She's @ holysmoaksoliver.tumblr.com and I'm @ forverfelicityqueen.tumblr.com. I mean we answer comments on Mondays, but I'm like always on tumblr.

 

It wasn’t what he’d expected, this offer from Anatoly, although if Oliver were being honest, deep down inside he somehow always knew it would end this way.  Besides, hadn’t everything since the Gambit happened that way-- always on the verge of getting what he wanted, only for it to slip through his fingers at the last second.

Going home had been a pipe dream anyway, or at least, that’s what he would need to convince himself of if he was ever going to make it through the next several hours.  At the end of their meeting, Anatoly had called half a dozen men together, men that would be under Oliver’s command until the party was over.  In three years he’d never felt so simultaneously free and shackled.

“Perhaps this is for the best,” Ivan said as they drove the distance from the restaurant to the embassy. “Your friends are good people, not covered in blood and shadows.  Not like you and me.”

Oliver could barely bring himself to nod; he’d been a fool to be hopeful for anything beyond his current circumstance.  A bigger fool even still for thinking that anything with Felicity was even in the realm of possibilities.  He forced the thoughts from his mind, pushing them down into a box that he’d dispose of later.  For now they had a job to do. Get Waller off their backs for good and get Tommy and Felicity home safe.  Everything after that could be figured out later.  But he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to see this through.

“How exactly does the Russian mob get jurisdiction to run security at a US embassy?” Oliver asked as they pulled around the back of the building.

“I guess your friends know more people than you think,” Ivan answered, putting the car in park and shutting off the engine.

With one final breath of resolve, Oliver unbuckled his seatbelt and popped the door open.  He would have to find Felicity and Tommy; better for this to come from him than for them to hear it from someone else.  And with as much information would be flying tonight, he needed everything to be out in the open before guests like Amanda Waller showed up.

He and Ivan stepped through the back door and into the chaos of the kitchen, where they parted ways.  Ivan headed to the head of security and Oliver went in search of Tommy and Felicity.  He knew that with Malcolm on his way he’d have to stay out of sight, especially now.  Oliver had never thought highly of Malcolm Merlyn, but he knew better than to expect a man like that to be discreet with information like Oliver still being alive.  Malcolm would use it, twist it, and leverage it to the highest bidder to get exactly what he wanted, whatever that may be.  And they already had enough of that shit from Amanda Waller to deal with.

Oliver walked the halls, familiarizing himself with the layout; even though he’d memorized the blueprints, there was something comforting in knowing the number of steps between exits, which way the doorknobs turned, which doors were locked.  There was a door to the main ballroom area with a porthole type window and he’d nearly bypassed it when he spotted a familiar blonde ponytail.  She was at the front of the room, speaking to someone with a clipboard, presumably the list of attendees, if he had to guess.  She spoke animatedly, gesturing with her hands, and he could tell from her countenance that she was frustrated.  Probably overwhelmed too, if the look of the PA system in the corner was any indication.

A hand clapped over his shoulder and Oliver turned, finding Tommy standing behind him.  “Everything good to go?” his friend asked.

Oliver cleared his throat.  “In a manner of speaking.  But I’ve got to talk to you.”

Tommy spotted someone in the hallway and was already taking off after them.  “Sure thing,” he called over his shoulder.  “Give me five minutes.”  He caught up with a man carrying a box of champagne, leading him out into the ballroom.

Rubbing his forehead, Oliver turned, leaning against the wall.  He hated feeling restricted like this; it was one thing when other people were confined with him, he could at least justify it.  But having to stay out of sight, confined to the shadows-- it was exactly like what Ivan had said.

“Hey there,” a voice cooed from behind him, and Oliver spun at the sound of it. Felicity was smiling, but it was strained.

“I have something to tell you,” Oliver said, carefully wrapping his hand around her arm and navigating them to a quiet corner.

“I’ve got something to tell you too,” she said, clearing her throat and averting her eyes.  “And you might not want to know, but I think you should know because it’s important.  I mean, I know you weren’t planning on going to the party, just staying behind the scenes because of Malcolm.  But, well your family is here-- or is going to be here tonight. Malcolm had me add them to the list.  Your mom, sister and Mr. Steele.  Isn’t that exciting?  You don’t have to wait to get back to Starling before you see them.”

Oliver blew out a long breath.  “I probably should have gone first.”

“You don’t look happy,” Felicity said, bewildered.

“No,” he answered.

“Why aren’t you more happy?”

“Because I’m not coming home, Felicity.”  The words came tumbling out before he could stop them.  And damn if those two words didn’t sound perfect next to each other.  Her name and the word home.  They had the same taste on his lips.

It seemed to take a moment for it to sink in but then she turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway.  Oliver reached out, grabbing her arm and turning her back around to face him.

“I can’t believe you!” she said in a louder voice than he’d ever heard from her.  “What about the talk we were supposed to have, and the reunion with your family.  Did you think about that Oliver?”

He closed his eyes for a long moment.  The talk they were supposed to have, he felt his heart sink just a little further at the thought.  They’d never get that talk, the one about the kiss they’d shared the other night, or the one they’d shared just a few hours earlier.  They’d never get to discuss the way she smiled a little brighter when her hand was in his or everything he’d wanted to tell her since that night in the doorway of the bathroom in Tokyo.  Waller had stolen that from them both, and Oliver was going to make her pay for it. But before he could recover to say something, to say anything that might make her understand, she slipped from his grasp, just like he always knew she would.

How could he tell her that when you made a deal with the devil, they always collected their dues?  He’d meant the Bratva to be simply a means to an end, it was never supposed to be how he spent the rest of his days, but then again neither was she.  He’d known since the beginning that all his darkness would ever do was drag her down.

“How’d it go?” Diggle’s voice asked, and it wasn’t lost on Oliver that if they were going to make it through this night alive, he’d have to stay more on top of his game.  Being caught off guard could prove to be fatal on a night like this.  He turned, meeting the man’s eyes.

“Don’t ask,” Oliver said, feeling his resolve harden within him.  He couldn’t allow emotions cloud his judgement, not when they were so close to taking Waller down for good.  “But it doesn’t matter.  I’m here now.  Give me a rundown.”

“Felicity’s got her system basically ready to go.  Ivan says you’ve got security outside covered, so we’re straight there.”  John handed him a small com.  “Lyla is standing by and she looks about as caged as you do.”

“She’s in position already?” Oliver asked, placing the com in his ear.

“You all might be on Waller’s radar, but Lyla’s a rogue agent.  I’m sure there’s a kill on sight order on her.  She’ll be waiting in the interrogation room until Waller’s spotted and then she and Felicity will get her back there.  This whole thing rests on the three of you.”  John paused, taking in Oliver’s appearance.  “You sure you’re up for this?”

“I’m fine,” he lied, because what else was there to do?  He’d have the rest of his life to wax poetic about the night that everything changed, but for now he just needed to get through it.  A waiter walked passed with a box of booze and Oliver stopped him, grabbing a bottle of vodka from off the top and cracking it open in one swift movement.  “Drink?”

“Nah man,” Diggle answered.  “Maybe we should wait until after this all goes down to celebrate.”

Oliver shook his head and walked off to find the interrogation room.  “Who said anything about celebrating,” he muttered under his breath as he went.  He’d told Felicity.  That was one down, one to go.

\---

If the evening promised to teach Tommy anything at all, it was to never throw a party ever again. No matter the cause. He’d barely gotten to touch base with Felicity before chaos ensued, and even after he got in his tux he only saw Oliver for a minute. But none of that mattered. 

As soon as they dealt with Waller everything would settle down. He believed that. Or he wanted to believe it. But there was a gnawing voice in the back of his mind. It kept whispering that they’d never be free, not really. They could knock ARGUS down, but that didn’t mean anything. Waller would slither away, bruised but not beaten.  _ She could come back _ , the voice kept saying, reminding him that they were so far from in the clear. 

He shook it off. He wouldn’t let things go that way, not while they could still do something about it. He trusted that Felicity, Lyla, and Oliver could throw down with Waller. He just had to be patient. And make it through the next few hours without a major disaster to trip him up.

“Hey Tommy,” he froze. Because he knew the voice he just heard, but didn’t want to believe it. She couldn’t be here, they couldn’t, not when ARGUS was due any second.

“Thea, what a surprise,” he turned coming face to face with Thea. Moira and Walter were a ways back in line, chatting with the Duchess of some country he wouldn’t ever be able to pronounce. He pulled the younger girl in for a quick hug before continuing. “Did I know you three were attending the event?”

“Considering we didn’t even hear about it until like three days ago probably not,” she replied with a sigh. “I mean not being invited by you was one thing, but mom overheard about this gala from Laurel. If it’s partially to honor Ollie, it would have been nice to be included.”

He recognized the look on her face. It was the same look she’d get when she she was trying to be hard and strong, but he could see the hurt just beneath the surface.

“Hey come on, I didn’t exclude you or your mom from this,” he tugged on her arm, pulling her off away from the crowd growing near the door. “This wasn’t about Ollie, it’s a… It’s for the company. A PR thing to bring in some good press. My dad’s idea really. I just saw a thing about the missing couple and figured it would generate the right type of buzz. I swear it wasn’t to bring up Oliver, or to hurt you.”

She cleared her throat, giving him a slight nod. “Oh.”

He opened his mouth to speak again, but a flash of blonde in a dark blue dress came storming up to him.

“Tommy we have a problem involving Ol--” Felicity cut her words short, finally seeing Thea standing there. “ives. Olives, the caterer wanted to ask you if they should go in the salads. Hello.”

“Thea this is Felicity Smoak,” Tommy replied with a nervous smile, then pointed at the girl. “Felicity this is Thea Queen.”

“Yes of course, it’s nice to meet you,” Felicity replied shaking her hand. “It’s great you guys could make it for the gala.”

“Oh I would never miss a party,” Thea joked with a smirk to Tommy. “Is this your girlfriend? Because Laurel made it sound like you two had a date scheduled for when you got back to town.”

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. He had never wanted to see Amanda Waller more than in that moment. “Felicity is a friend, Thea. Also she’s Merlyn Global’s top IT specialist. But we do have some party details to go over. So I will catch up with you later?”

The teen waved him off, and Tommy was grateful she didn’t have anymore questions for him. He may have no problem lying to his father, but lying to Thea was harder. She payed attention in ways Malcolm never would. 

He waited until he’d pulled Felicity with him to a remote corner before he spoke. “This is bad, really bad. I mean you think this was more of a Waller ploy? Maybe she did some whispering in people’s ears. She’s not above threatening Oliver’s family.”

“She didn’t invite them,” Felicity replied, but he could tell she was distracted by something. “Your dad asked me to add them to the guest list.”

“Okay, that’s less worrisome. Now we have to keep Moira and Thea away from Waller,” Tommy added it to the ever growing list of things that needed to happen for the night to not crash and burn around them. “But them being here, it’s good, I mean for Oliver.”

“Yeah about that…”

“What is it?” He knew the look Felicity got when she didn’t want to talk about something, when something was eating at her. “Felicity talk to me.”

“You know what, it’s not my place. I shouldn't have even brought it up. But you need to talk to Oliver,” she said with a nod. “I think he  _ needs  _ you to talk to him. Please?”

He didn’t want to do this in a room full of people, but he was starting to think he was losing the ability to choose the outcome of things for himself. “Hey if this is about the two of you, I’m not upset or in the way. I just want you to be happy. Both of you. But you don’t look happy right now.”

She was crying. Or at least she was trying not to cry. And he couldn’t help pulling her in for a hug. It felt right, the two of them fitting together like life hadn’t tried to tear them apart. Felicity was his friend, one of his best friends. And he couldn’t imagine a scenario where he wasn’t the one who would comfort her when she was hurting. 

“I am here if you need to talk,” he said letting her pull out of the embrace, but his hand was still on her arm. “Waller can wait.”

“It’s not my place to tell you,” she replied with a shaking breath. “Besides, we don’t have time. Seriously, how many times have we said that over the last few weeks.”

“Way too many. But soon we will be headed home,” he gave her arm a light squeeze. “And things will get back to normal.”

“I’m not sure normal exists anymore,” she muttered more to herself than to him.

Felicity turned to walk away, but stopped dead in her tracks. He didn’t need to track her gaze to figure out why, but he did anyway. Across the room, at the front entrance, Amanda Waller walked in, an elegant red dress clinging to her frame. Tommy could only compare the color to one thing.  _ Blood _ . It didn’t feel like a coincidence. It felt like a warning.

“Looks like it’s show time,” Tommy said, steeling himself. “You ready Smoak?”

Felicity gave him a halfhearted smile in return. “As I’ll ever be Merlyn.”

\--- 

The knowledge that Oliver was staying in Moscow, after everything they’d done to get to him, after everything they’d been through together, stung far more than Felicity expected it to.  Compounded with the violent storm on the horizon that was Amanda Waller and the knowledge that Moira and Thea Queen were in the building was nearly enough to make Felicity want to find the quietest corner she could and hide out for the rest of the night.  But she couldn’t do that, no matter what she was dealing with, or what she was feeling, she had to carry on.  

A shudder rippled through her at the thought that carrying on despite the war raging inside her was a very ‘agent like’ thing to do, but she silenced it.  She wasn’t working for Amanda Waller now, and she never would be.

The woman in question hadn’t spotted them yet, or at least, she hadn’t made eye contact.  She no doubt had half a dozen agents in her ear giving her their exact location, but Felicity and Tommy still stood frozen near the center of the room.

“Waller’s here,” Tommy said, his voice echoing inside her ear a second later.  

John had given them all comms and Felicity had to keep from messing with hers, or fidgeting at all, really.  She didn’t want to give Waller the satisfaction of seeing her squirm.  So she looped her arm through Tommy’s and leaned against him for support.

“Ah, Tommy, Miss Smoak,” Malcolm said, cool as a cucumber as he slid in front of them, blocking Felicity’s view of Waller.  Felicity felt her eyes narrow; something was off about him, smug perhaps, like he had fully expected his son’s party to be a failure.  “I assumed your surprise guest of honor would have made an appearance by now.”

Tommy stiffened beside her and Felicity tightened her grip on his arm marginally.

“I think that perhaps you’re mistaken,” Felicity said, as sweetly as she could muster.  “I saw you speaking with Moira and Thea just a moment ago, and they’re the only surprise guests we have.”  She offered him a bright smile.  “If you’ll excuse me, I think I see someone messing with the AV system.”

She made her way toward the AV system, shooing off the man who had done nothing but unplug and replug a few cables.  She checked the system over to make sure he hadn’t changed or messed anything up, but it looked clean.  No new wires or taps that ARGUS could use to piggyback off her system.  

“Your target cleared the metal detectors,” Ivan’s gruff voice came next in her ear.  “No weapons on her.”

Felicity laughed without humor at that, glancing toward the door where Ivan stood.  Just because Waller had come in with no guns or knives didn’t mean she didn’t have weapons.  Felicity had learned the hard way not to underestimate Amanda Waller.  Hell, the chopsticks in the woman’s hair were probably razor sharp.

“Felicity stay in position,” Lyla said through the comms.  “I’ll meet you at the rendez-vous point in 45 seconds.”

She nodded, to no one in particular, and blew out a long breath.  From the corner of her eye she could see Waller standing beside the enforcer-looking man from the cafe.  They were just a few feet from Moira and Thea Queen and Felicity felt every muscle inside her tense like a coiled snake, ready to strike.

“We will need to get her away from her bodyguard,” Felicity said, trying to remain nonchalant even as she spoke to empty air.  A waiter came around with a tray of champagne and she gratefully took a glass and downed half of it in one swallow.  The bubbles fizzed in her throat and steadied her nerves.

“I will get him,” Ivan said, moving from the front door toward where Waller and the other man stood.  

He waited until Lyla was beside Felicity and they were headed toward the pair before pulling the man’s attention toward the door.  They had just stepped away when Waller met eyes with Felicity, a serene smile on her face.  She walked forward, meeting them more toward the center of the room than Felicity was comfortable with.

“Agent Michaels,” Waller said before smoothing her hair back into her bun.  “It’s lovely to see you so healthy.”

“You mean alive,” Felicity said, narrowing her eyes, speaking before she could stop herself.

“And Miss Smoak,” the woman said, turning her attention toward her.  “I see you’ve been fortunate enough to reunite with plenty of old friends as of late.”  She cleared her throat before continuing.  “I was just about to seek out Mr. Merlyn-- the younger one-- and thank him for the generous invitation.  It seems there’s an auction tonight and there are plenty of things I’m interested in acquiring.”

The thinly veiled threat was enough to make Felicity’s blood run cold.  Clearly Waller had come to make a deal, or perhaps just to strong arm her way into getting all of them to surrender to her wishes.

“If you’d like,” Lyla said, taking a step closer.  “Miss Smoak and I would be happy to show you some of the more impressive pieces in the back.”

For a split second, Felicity froze.  The words had slipped from Lyla’s lips so effortlessly that she nearly wondered if this had been some triple agent cover mission from the beginning.  But Felicity caught Tommy’s gaze from across the room, the subtle nod he offered her that everything would be alright, and it was enough to push her through the fear.  

Lyla placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder, a move that to most of the guests appeared friendly, but Felicity knew better.  Lyla’s thumb pressed into the still-fresh wound where Oliver’s arrow had found a home just a few days earlier.  Waller winced, but it was over almost immediately, her face returning to a serene mask to hide the pain.  With a nod from their hostage, Lyla and Felicity led her through the crowd and out the door into the back hallway.

Once the door was closed behind them, Felicity let out a breath, steadying her nerves.  Her goons would be looking for Waller soon, unless she’d given them some directive to stand down, to not cause a scene with so many influential people in the place.  At least, that’s what Felicity was hoping for.

“I hope you know the insurmountable mistake the two of you are making,” Waller said with a dry laugh.  They walked swiftly down the hallway, stopping outside the end room, where two of Oliver’s Bratva men flanked the door.

Felicity felt a small smile light her own features, wondering if Waller had put it together yet, how Oliver had stayed in Russia for so long undetected, how they’d managed to get Akio back home safely, why Oliver was no longer worried to come face to face with her.  Felicity knocked on the door and it swung inward immediately, Oliver locking eyes with her only briefly as they all moved inside.  He whispered something in Russian to the men outside the door and then closed it behind them.

Lyla pushed Waller down into an empty seat, cuffing her hands to a table in front of her.  It felt like an interrogation room, and for all intents and purposes, it might as well have been.  Although they weren’t there to extract information from this woman; they already had all the ammunition they needed.

“I must admit, I’m--”

“You don’t get to talk now,” Oliver said, leveling a glare at Amanda Waller that silenced her instantly.  “This is the part where you listen.  Because there’s only one way you are walking out of this room and that is without any of us.”

“Is that supposed to rattle me, Mr. Queen?”

“No,” he said with a laugh as he took the seat across from her.  He was more cold and calculated than Felicity had ever seen him.  Even more so than when he’d had an arrow pointed at the woman just a few days earlier.  That had been out of survival, out of protection.  But this… Felicity shuddered.  This was ruthless and unbridled hatred.

With a steady hand, Oliver picked up Felicity’s tablet, typing in the command prompt she’d given him and spinning it around to face Waller.  “But you better believe that if you so much as look at any of the five of us again, everyone in that room out there-- the most influential men and women of the world, men and women who bankroll every operation you’ve got-- they’ll all receive a copy of this.”

“Checkmate,” Waller breathed, and Felicity couldn’t tell from her tone if it was out of recognition, or if in some morbid twist of fate she thought she somehow had the upper hand.  “I see you and Miss Smoak share a panache for threatening treason.”

“The only treason in here is yours,” Oliver said.

“It would seem that you’ve won, Mr. Queen.”

Felicity could see no hint of a break in the cool mask Waller wore.  Glancing at Lyla, Felicity grew even more worried, when the woman met her eyes with a curiosity of her own.  Something wasn’t right.  This was supposed to feel more like a win.  Instead, it felt more like they were walking right into a trap.

“So take the deal,” Oliver ground out.

For a long moment his words hung in the air, an unspoken plea that finally, once and for all, things would go their way.  Felicity felt herself hold her breath until Waller spoke,

“I’ve got a better idea,” she said, lacing the fingers of her cuffed hands together and meeting his eye.  “I think I’d rather send a team to the the Ritz-Carlton hotel tonight.  Suite 1423, where Moira and Thea Queen are staying.  I imagine part of your friend Tommy’s relief fund for missing American citizens will go toward locating them.  But you and I will know the truth Mr. Queen.  And when you finally have nothing left to lose, I think you’ll be giving me a call.”

 


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS! We're getting so close to the end! Are you ready? Are you pumped? Okay- let's go!
> 
> -Cassie

 

“I got eyes on them,” Diggle’s voice was low in his ear. “I can get them clear of here.”

Oliver could just imagine the man skirting the sides of the room, ready to get his family out of harm’s way. But if he let Digg do that, Waller would think she’d won. And he wouldn’t, couldn’t, let her do that.

“Stay where you are,” he replied to the man. And he could feel Felicity’s eyes shift to him, heavy with questions. “I mean it. And Tommy get ready. You need to be on that stage in three minutes.”

“Oliver,” Tommy hissed. “What are you doing?”

But Oliver wasn’t focusing on Tommy, or Diggle, and he was trying to tune out Felicity’s frequency as well. He needed to be cold now, to zoom in on Waller’s weakness and cut it down. He couldn’t do that without shedding the last bit of Oliver Queen he’d been holding on to. 

“You’re playing with your family’s lives?” Waller sat back in her chair, smirking. “Look how far you’ve come from the man you once were. See you need me more than I need you. Without ARGUS, you’ll spiral into the darkness and take everyone you care about with you.”

“856,” Oliver said, folding his hands in front of him. “That is your flight number tonight correct? Out of Vnukovo International Airport. Flight 856 nonstop to Hong Kong. Your driver for the evening is a man named Sven. And you requested a very sleek black town car as your rental. So if we don’t get you in the car, it’ll be the plane. Or maybe Sven is very easily persuaded by large sums of money,” he leaned across the table, making sure Waller’s eyes were focused on his. “Or maybe I end this. Right here, right now.”

“You do that, and my agents--”

“Were made the second you walked in with them,” He let out a gruff laugh. “You think you still have cards to play here, but we both know that’s not the case.”

Waller slid her gaze over to Felicity, just enough that Oliver caught the predatory glint in her eyes. He saw her tactics shift in that moment. But he wasn’t going to let her do that.

“You don’t seem curious,” Oliver tested. If he could get her focused back on him, he could end this. “About how I managed to hide from you for so long.”

Waller took his bait, slowly shifting back to him. He knew he struck a nerve. She hated not being the one with all the answers, and there was no way she’d walk away until he told them to her. 

“Enlighten me then Mr. Queen.”

“You were right,” he replied, the words feeling stale and bitter on his tongue. “I’m not the same guy you fished out of the water off the coast of Lian Yu. I had to adapt to survive. I had to break, to be rebuilt. But I found some people who helped me do that.”

“If you’re just going to play coy with me we could be here all night.”

“Did you know the mob population is highly concentrated within the city limits,” he shifted his gaze to the door, then motioned to Lyla to open it. 

She didn’t look pleased that he’d basically given her an order. Thankfully she didn’t fight him, but she did send him a withering glare as she opened the door. 

Ivan came in the room, and walked over to him, standing just to his right. A status symbol Oliver had come to associate with the best in the Brotherhood. A symbol Waller recognized if the look on her face was any indication.

But still she didn’t seem to want to give in. “You’re bluffing.”

Felicity let out a huff, the first sound he’d heard from her since she’d entered the room. He turned just in time to see her rolling her eyes, and he raised brow at her. 

“What?  Anyone who’s spent five minutes with you knows you can’t lie for anything.”

He wished he could smile at her, show some affection for that moment. But Waller would see it, would use it, and twist it into something ugly. 

“You know I’m not Amanda,” he returned his full attention back to the woman who’d turned his life into a walking hell. “So keep your threats. But know this. The second you go after someone I care about, or someone my friends care about, you aren’t waging war against me. It’ll be against the full force of the Bratva. And I will not rest until you suffer the same amount of pain you inflict on others,” he took a breath, giving Waller the seconds of suspense at his words. “So I suggest you take our original deal. We all lose sometimes. This is yours.”

She looked livid, sitting in front of him cuffed to a chair, but she also looked cornered. “I guess you’re really leaving me no choice in the matter.” 

“So that’s a yes?” Felicity said. She was moving to stand to the left of him, to face Waller head on. And Oliver wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her back from the woman before she struck. “You’re done?”

“I have nothing more to play,” Waller sneered, before she cleared her throat. “Uncuff me please, I’d like to leave this wretched city before the evening’s over.”

Lyla moved to her side, slipping the cuffs off her, but Waller reached over grabbing her wrist. Lyla pulled back trying to free herself. “Let go, Amanda.”

“I’m just making sure you’re aware of your choices Agent Michaels,” Waller said meeting Lyla’s eyes. “I’ll give you a few days to consider whether or not you want to leave ARGUS.”

Waller released Lyla, as she stood from her seat. She wasn’t leaving though. In fact she turned back to him with a smile. “You were right too, Mr. Queen. Everyone loses eventually. And I will wait patiently for it to happen to you.”

He wanted to tell her she was already witnessing it. That every moment from the second he’d walked out of Ivan’s that afternoon, had been his downfall. Oliver lost the second Anatoly had called him. But he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. 

They let her walk from the room, but none of them moved. Lyla was watching Waller disappear down the hall, while Felicity’s hands seemed to shake next to him. He almost pulled her to him.  _ Almost.  _ But he couldn’t. Not after he exploded anything they may have been building. 

“Is that it?” Felicity spoke first, turning to him. “Because it doesn’t feel over.”

He knew that feeling. The prickling at the base of your neck, like you’d never shake the invisible eyes trained on you. 

“It will,” he lied, hoping she wasn’t watching him too closely. Because he wanted her to believe him. If any good could come from their last night together, he wanted it to be her being able to move past this. To have a life once she returned to Starling. 

Felicity nodded, but refused to meet his eyes. “I should go and check on things out there.”

Lyla followed as Felicity walked away, and Oliver couldn’t help but watched her blonde hair disappear around the corridor. Her experience with the dark, seedy underbelly of the world may have been limited to the last couple months. But Oliver had to agree with Felicity on one thing. Nothing felt like it was over, not when it came to Waller. But if she struck against Felicity or Tommy, he knew what he’d have to do. And he would make sure that Amanda knew that she taught him all of it.

\---

Tommy’s hands were shaking as he made his way up to the podium, but his nerves had nothing to do with the words of introduction and thanks he was about to deliver and everything to do with what he’d just heard over the comm in his ear with regard to Oliver.

_ Mob. _

The word reverberated around in his head, finally taking root deep in the pit of his stomach, heavy and rock-like, weighing him down and forcing him to choke back the gag that threatened to give him away.  His best friend was part of the Russian mob.

No wonder Oliver didn’t want him to know about it.

If Tommy was grateful for anything in that moment, it was that his father had insisted on giving a speech.  For his part it was just a thank you to everyone for coming and a flourishing and well-rehearsed introduction of his father to the stage.  For that he could simply read the cue-cards he’d drafted, he could push everything else to the back of his mind for a moment and make everyone in the room believe that everything was fine, that his whole world wasn’t crashing down around him.

He should have expected it, shouldn’t he have?  He’d known that Ivan wasn’t just a good samaritan, that Oliver’s past was shady and filled with things that he didn’t want to talk about.  On some level he must have expected it though, right?  After all this time, could he really still be that naive?

“Tommy you got this,” Diggle said, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder.  

It was the steadying, grounding force that he needed, snapping him back in place.  With a nod, Tommy took the three steps up onto the platform, the bright lights blinding him to the crowd.  He moved to stand behind the podium and felt everything else fade away.

“Good evening,” he said with a bright smile.  “I want to thank you all for coming this evening to celebrate a new chapter in the Merlyn Global history.  A chapter that doesn’t just put money toward faceless charities, but rather invests in the future of not only our company, but in making the world a better place.”  He paused, letting the words swell a sense of pride within him.  He’d done something to better the world in starting this foundation.  No matter his motivations, he’d done something that was going to help people, to potentially keep them from suffering their lost loved ones the way he had.  

“None of this would be possible without the backing and support of the CEO of Merlyn Global.  I hope that you all drink enough to be half as generous in the silent auction later as he’s been.”  He grinned, raising his glass.  “And now, my father, Malcolm Merlyn.”

Malcolm met him on the stage, placing an arm around Tommy’s shoulder and pausing for a photo.  As soon as it was acceptable, Tommy retreated from the platform, his mind barely registering that his father was speaking.  He just needed fresh air, something away from the stifling looks of a thousand guests.  He pulled the comm from his ear, dropping it into his glass of champagne and set it on the AV table before pushing through the back hallway, darting through the kitchen and out the back door.

He knew that he should be inside, that he should be putting on a brave face, or celebrating their win with his friends.  But just in that moment, Tommy didn’t feel like celebrating, and he barely felt like the people he’d been working with could be called friends.  Allies, perhaps, a means to an end maybe, but friends?

He laughed bitterly at the word.  How was it that after months of wondering, weeks of searching, countless terrifying near-death moments, he could feel this lousy about ‘winning’?

“Yes, I want to move forward with Project Brother Eye.”

Tommy whipped around, finding Waller standing beside a large SUV with a phone pressed to her ear.  He took a few steps closer, despite himself.

“Yes, the one she came up with in college.  We are going to release the code world-wide, it’s got her fingerprints all over it.  When I’m done with her, she’ll be lucky if she gets a job working the counter at Tech Village.”  Waller paused and then added, “Do it tonight.  I’m on the next flight from this god-forsaken country back to the command center.”

He was about to approach her, to march her straight back into Oliver and Lyla and let them sort out whatever plan Waller had next, when she turned around, a satisfied smile on her lips as she met his eyes.

“And get in touch with all the local patriarchs here in Moscow,” she said, taking a step toward Tommy.  “I want blood to run through every street in this city.  We will fully back any family who brings me the head of the Bratva.  Dead or alive.”

Tommy swore under his breath, feeling bile rise in his throat.  “You’re never going to stop, are you?” he breathed.

Waller was just inches from him now, her presence overbearing despite her smaller stature.  “It’s not in my nature to surrender,” she said calmly.  “Either I will get what I want, or I will make the five of you regret ever crossing paths with me.  It will be bloody, it will be violent and it will be unending.  Whatever dirt you think you have on me matters very little, and do you know why?”

Tommy shook his head, not trusting his own voice.  

“Because there will always be people willing to pay for the dirty work that goes on in the shadows.  Those men and women in there throwing money at your little fundraiser to make themselves feel better?  They’re the ones that hire me for all the things that will never see the light of day.  Political maneuvers, changes in regime power, things that are too abominable to even leave a paper trail.”

A car pulled up at the end of the alley, black with all tinted windows.  Waller paused a moment before moving toward it.

“Enjoy your night Mr. Merlyn.  You’ve won this battle, but I promise you I’ll take the war.”

The click of her heels echoed through the alleyway, the finality of her words disappearing with every step.  They’d never get out of this, she’d never let them.  What could drive a person to be so cold and calculated and malevolent?

“Wait,” he called, before he could stop himself.

Waller paused, halfway between him and the car.  She glanced over her shoulder, turning back halfway.

“You’ve offered each of us something different, so what is it that you actually want?”  He was playing with fire, he knew.  But what choice did he have?

“Who says I want anything from any of you anymore?”

“You wouldn’t have come if you didn’t,” he seethed, hating himself for the decision he knew he could no longer avoid.  This was it, after all.  The pit in his stomach that he hadn’t been able to shake for days, the feeling, deep in his gut that it was always meant to end this way.  “I’ll give you myself if you leave the rest of them alone.  I don’t have the experience that Oliver has, or the ability that Felicity has, but something tells me that all you’re really looking for is a way to categorize this as a win.  So if you need someone, just to gain something out of all of this, you can have me.”

Waller smirked, and somehow the look on her face was more sinister than anything he’d seen from her yet.  “You make difficult decisions on instinct.  That coupled with your ability to lie so casually in the face of even the most demanding situation, like I watched you do on that stage in there?  That is exactly what I value most in you Tommy.”

He felt himself shaking.  She’d crossed the distance back toward him as she spoke and she stood in front of him now, hand extended.  Tommy steeled his nerves, forcing his hand to be steady as he took hers and shook it firmly.  His heart stopped in that moment, he was sure of it.  He wondered if Oliver could remember the day he’d sold his own soul to the devil, because Tommy was positive this was a moment he would never be able to outrun, no matter how he tried.

“We are going to do great things together, you and I,” she said, releasing his hand.  She popped open her small purse, slid a business card into the breast pocket of his suit jacket, and then she was gone.

\---

Felicity could feel her nerves buckling, causing everything to spin. She needed a moment alone. No Lyla, no Diggle, no Tommy. And no Oliver. Even thinking his name sent a ripple of pain through her heart. She hadn’t planned on any of this. She hadn’t meant to fall for him. But it was hard to deny that she had. And now he was choosing to stay. To live the life of a dead man. It was like losing Cooper all over again. 

She found herself an unoccupied room, taking the comm link from her ear. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Not until she pulled herself back together. It’s not like she hadn’t done it before. Last time she had drastically changed every outward thing about herself, just to give herself the confidence to move forward. To take each step that would lead her to something better. 

She was better than that, stronger now. Felicity knew she wasn’t the same girl she was over a year ago. She would get through without crumbling to pieces first. She wouldn’t let Oliver see the effect he was having on her, or anyone else for that matter. 

By this time tomorrow she would be on her way back to Starling, and back to the life she had before. And soon Oliver would be a distant memory she would only let herself think about on her bad days. 

The door opened quickly, and Felicity’s nervous reflexes had her reaching for the vase next to her. But she stopped midway, as flashes of Oliver’s amused smile flooded her brain, and she turned to face the new arrival.

“Ah Miss Smoak, I wasn’t aware you were in here,” Malcolm said flashing her a grin.

If her trip had done anything for her, it had given her a good read on people. And something in the elder Merlyn’s eyes told her he knew exactly where she was, and he’d come to talk to her.

“Mr. Merlyn,” she nodded as she stood. “That was an impressive speech you gave. Very humanitarian.” 

“Well when you’re the face of a company you learn to adapt yourself to situations you may not exactly enjoy,” he replied. “But it seems I owe my son a bit of an apology. His idea seems to have gone off without a hitch, though not as well planned as it should have been. I suppose he got  _ distracted _ once he reached city limits.”

She felt the prodding of his words, how the older man seemed to be rooting around for a reaction from her. But Felicity wasn’t naive, and she wasn’t in the mood to play the question game with Malcolm. 

“I happen to think that the gala was a success,” she said as she stood from her seat. “But I’m sure Tommy would love to hear that from you. If you’ll excuse me, I do have a few more things to attend to.”

Felicity moved to brush past him, but he shifted himself until he was standing in front of the door. “You believe all aspects of the gala were a success?”

“I’m not sure what you mean, sir.” Merlyn had a dangerous look on his face, one that had Felicity thinking too much of Amanda Waller. “Unless you’re speaking of the silent auction. Which we won’t have the results for until later tonight.”

“I was concerned Miss Smoak, when my son informed me that you had abandoned your job in favor of a family emergency,” he paused as he walked around her to claim a seat. “Given the amount of work you were doing for Merlyn Global so soon after your hire date, you mustn’t fault me for considering that you perhaps were shopping your talents around to other companies. Possibly with the information you pulled from our servers.”

“You thought I was selling your secrets to the highest bidder?” Felicity felt offended and repulsed by the words. She could never do that. She could never turn herself into the exact person Waller thought she saw in her. 

“So I did a little digging,” he continued, unfazed by her interruption. “It seems my son left out a few key details. No, I’m sorry I misspoke. He lied, through his teeth. Your mother wasn’t in the hospital. And by the brief conversation we had on the phone, she seemed to be in very high spirits.”

“Mr. Merlyn I can explain.” But she couldn’t. Not after the amount of stress the day had already put her through. 

“Let me instead,” he smirked, and she’d never seen such a nice gesture look so devious. “I called in a few old favors I had, trying to track down my missing employee, and what did I find? Not just my IT specialist, but a man the world believes is dead. So tell me Felicity, did my son only bring you to Merlyn Global so you would track down Oliver Queen?”

It wasn’t just a chill that ran down her spine, but a coiling heat that kept her rooted in place. He couldn’t be serious, there was no way he’d found out the one thing she and Tommy had fought so hard to protect. She watched him closely and she knew this wasn’t some kind of trick to trip her up. But still she didn’t want to give in that easily.

“I don’t know wha--”

“Do not insult either of our intelligences by finishing that statement Miss Smoak,” he cut her off with venom, before his smile returned. “I was looking forward to such a warm family friendly evening.”

“That’s why you invited Moira and Thea here,” Felicity let the revelation sit in the air for a moment before pressing on. “Because you knew Oliver would be here too.”

“I assumed you two would have paraded him out by now,” he said flicking dust from his jacket. “Unless maybe there’s a reason Oliver won’t reclaim his life in the land of the living?”

Of course he knew more. He probably knew everything. From Waller to the Bratva, and whatever other things they’d been wrapped up in for the last few months. He probably knew more than she did, or even Tommy. But why stay back? Why not reach out and help his son bring Oliver home? 

But the reasons were there. Stacked up like magazines hoarded in a closet. Malcolm was a man who was out for himself, always. Maybe there had been a time long ago when he was a father to Tommy, a good man. But Felicity was sure that man was swallowed whole by the one who sat before her. 

“Perhaps he needs to see a familiar face,” He stood to move towards the door, and before Felicity knew what she was doing she had her back pressed against the wood structure. 

“I can’t let you do that,” she replied taking a deep breath. “Mr. Merlyn whatever you think you know, you can’t just-- it’s not that simple. There are other things happening. Things that you can’t get involved with. It’s a dangerous game that won’t end well for anyone.”

It was cruel irony that she was still so hell bent on protecting Oliver even after he threw the feelings they had for each other in the trash. But she was the only thing standing between Malcolm Merlyn and Oliver’s wishes. And as much as those wishes cut her deeply, she was going to respect them. 

“I don’t believe you have much of a chance to stop me, Miss Smoak,” he said, but so far he made no move to try to get past her. “See there are other things in play here. Things  _ you _ do not understand. And three years ago Oliver’s father left Starling City with information. Information I would like to make sure stays where it should be.”

His words rattled her, kicking up a sudden desire to run, to escape from the room, and never look Merlyn in the eyes again. If he knew about the things-- the people-- they’d been involved with, and he still wasn’t shying away, then what kind of evil deeds did he have shoved under his hat?

“Oliver told me his father died.” It wasn’t technically a lie, even if Oliver hadn’t really told her. But she had caught his mutterings one night in the apartment. A fitful dream where he’d mention Robert, and the sacrifice the man had made. But Felicity never told him. She didn’t think he’d want her to know something like that. “When the Gambit went down, Oliver was the only survivor. So whatever information Mr. Queen had, whatever secrets he was carrying. They died along with him.”

She’d never seen someone look so pleased over the news that a friend was dead, and it sent a wave of nausea through her stomach. Malcolm moved around the small room, and Felicity was tempted to leave him there. But before she could, he turned to her with a calculated look.

“You set up the system breaches didn’t you? So you and Tommy had a reason for your cross-continental field trip?”

She felt herself nod, even if she didn’t know why. She should leave. Find the others. Tell Tommy his dad was a freaking lunatic. Something. But instead she stood there. But why? Because she was curious of where Malcolm was going with this? She really thought she’d gotten over her obsession with mysteries.

“It was impressive work, truly. I bet if you were given a proper project, something that really challenged you, you could do astonishing things,” he paused, and Felicity felt like it was more for effect, than to stall their conversation. “I’ve been looking into purchasing a project that would be very beneficial to the company. But it’s creator is hesitant given the status of our applied sciences department. Dr. Markov will only work with the best and I think I may have just found it.”

His words confused her. Okay maybe it wasn’t the words exactly, more like his intent behind them. Because she couldn’t fathom a universe where this would happen. “Did you just offer me a promotion? Why in the world would you do that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Malcolm questioned back, like it was his most brilliant idea ever. “You’re bright and talented. And of course there is the matter of my knowledge of Oliver Queen’s whereabouts, and the people he’s associating with.”

She may have been the one closest to the door, but Felicity had never felt more trapped. Malcolm was up to something, and whatever it was she didn’t trust it to be for the good of anyone but himself. But it wasn’t just Oliver life he threatened with his words. The Bratva may not be the good guys, but since she’d been in Russia anyone she’d met had done everything they could to restore a family to each other, to keep her and her friends from harm. If Malcolm exposed what he knew, then there were people who’d lose. People who didn’t deserve that. Like Sofia or her sister, Ana. Even Ivan had been kind to them the last week she’d been around him. 

“So I take the job, I work with this Dr. Markov on his project, and you forget what you know about Oliver?” It was risky, making a deal like this. But she didn’t see a way around it. 

“Of course Miss Smoak,” Malcolm said flashing her another grin. “Consider it forgotten. Now I must return to the party. There’s a few pieces of art out there that I’ve been looking forward to making a bid on.”

She moved from in front of the door, letting the man open it. But he paused there, turning his gaze back on her. “And don’t worry, Tommy needn’t know anything about this.”

  
He was gone then, leaving Felicity alone. But she didn’t feel alone. Now she had the ghosts of her decisions to keep her company.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my darlings,  
> Are we ready for another pain filled update? I mean what noooo, no pain here. Only happiness and bunnies. You don't believe me do you?  
> Then I shall not keep you waiting anymore.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Kayla

 

It had been only moments since they’d bested Amanda Waller, but Oliver didn’t feel much like they’d won.  Could it still be considered a win, when he’d lost so much?  Felicity and Lyla had disappeared down the hallway, leaving Oliver with Ivan in the room.  The two men who had been posted outside the door had been tasked with following Waller and making sure she’d left the building.  They hadn’t radio’d in with any issues, so Oliver could only assume that it really was over.

All he could think about was finding Felicity and Tommy and explaining everything to them.  The lies were eating away at him more and more every moment and he wanted nothing more than to come clean with them once and for all.  He couldn’t even imagine what Tommy must think of him, now that he knew the truth.  Oliver had hoped to protect his friend from the worst of it, but he should have known better than to believe it possible.  Perhaps the only thing that hadn’t come up over the course of their conversation was that Oliver would be staying in Moscow.  He had to tell Tommy face to face, he at least owed Tommy that much.

“Can you go keep an eye on my mom and sister?” Oliver asked, swallowing hard as he slid his gaze over to Ivan.  He hated that Malcolm had invited them, that they were less than a hundred yards from him and he couldn’t see them.  But he also remembered what had happened when he was in Starling the last time; he knew it was better for everyone if he didn’t get involved.

Ivan nodded once and then cleared out of the room, leaving Oliver alone.  He leaned back, resting his weight on the table top behind him, his head falling forward.  He could do it if he wanted to, sneak out into the ballroom, hug his mother and sister, tell them that he loved them and that he missed them.  Prove to them that he was alive, promise to call and email whenever he could.  But at what cost?  Knowing he was alive but never seeing him again, was it worth it to open all that pain back up for them?  They deserved so much better than that.

Pushing out a long breath, Oliver regained his footing, moving out the door of the room and down the hall and not looking back.

“Tommy, what’s your 20?” he asked into the comms, walking down the hall as he waited for an answer.

“He headed out the back after his introduction,” Diggle said a moment later.

Oliver nodded, taking out his own comm and dropping it into his pocket as he made his way through the maze of back hallways.  He knew at least, that the door through the kitchen led to the back alley, so it was as good a place as any to look for his friend.

The sun had set sometime since he’d been in the building and the alley was dark, save the single street light near the road at the end.  But Tommy’s silhouette stood in the center of the open space, shoulders slumped and head bowed slightly.  He looked about as defeated as Oliver felt.

Oliver crossed the distance between them, coming to stand a few feet behind his friend, who finally turned when Oliver scuffed a heel in the loose gravel of the asphalt.  “Hey,” Oliver said quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets to keep warm.

“Hey,” Tommy said back, and there was tightness to his voice despite the upbeat tone he used.  “I just needed a minute after all the fun inside.”

With a nod, Oliver took another step forward.

“Did you see your family?” Tommy asked, averting his eyes.

If Tommy was this upset with him already about the Bratva, how much more so would he be once he found out that Oliver wasn’t coming home?

“No, Tommy, I didn’t,” he answered quietly.  “That’s actually why I’m here.”  He sighed, better just to rip it off like a band-aid, right?  “I’m not coming back to Starling with you and Felicity.”

There was a pause, a huge shared held breath between them when all that could be heard was the electricity buzzing in the street light overhead and the commotion in the kitchen of the embassy behind them.

“Oh,” Tommy said finally, with a sigh.

“I wish I could say I had a choice in the matter,” Oliver continued.  “But it was really the only way to get the help we needed tonight.”

Something was definitely off with Tommy, and Oliver began to wonder, if perhaps it was something more than just his anger about finding out that Oliver was in the Bratva.  He could practically see the wheels and cogs in Tommy’s brain moving, processing, evaluating.

Tommy nodded.  “You’ve given up a lot to keep the people you love safe,” he said quietly.  “I understand that now.”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed, trying to determine where all of this was coming from.  He wondered if Tommy could feel it too, the lingering after-effects of their dealings with Waller, the feeling that it wasn’t quite over yet.  Would that sense of going down the stairs in the dark and expecting another stair when there wasn’t one ever go away?

He hesitated.  “I’ll never forget what you did to keep me safe,” Oliver said finally.  

Tommy’s brow furrowed and something flickered in his eyes-- fear? doubt?-- and then it was gone.

“To bring me home,” Oliver clarified.  “You and Felicity crossing the globe to track me down, it means a lot.”

Tommy shrugged off the words.  “You’re my best friend,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Was this what goodbyes were supposed to be like?  Laced with regret of past wrongs, and strung through words that were left unsaid?  Oliver wasn’t sure when Tommy and Felicity would be heading home, but this all felt very final.

“It’s hard to believe we came out on top,” Oliver said with a dismissive laugh.

Tommy swallowed hard and nodded.  “You should see the other guy.”  He blew out a long breath and gestured back toward the building.  “I hate to break up this love fest, but I should probably get in there.  Host and all.”

Oliver stayed, watching as Tommy disappeared inside.  That itch was still there in the back of his mind, telling him that something was wrong with his friend, that something was off, but Oliver pushed it down. Tommy had probably realized it was better this way, Oliver staying in Moscow with the Bratva. Tommy could probably see it in his eyes, that things would never be the same, never go back to before the Gambit went down.  Oliver blew out a long breath, swallowing down the hard truth that his friend was cutting his losses with him, after all.

A few moments later Felicity poked her head out the back door, and on spotting him, made her way to where he stood.

“A little stifling in there for you too?” she asked, a weak smile on her face.

Oliver made no attempt to reply, only dropped his gaze down to stare at her strappy black heels.  They sparked a memory that felt like years ago for all that had happened between now and then, and he smiled a little, despite himself, thinking about the night she’d snuck out and come to the club. She’d said she needed an escape, to forget that she was being chased by government goons, to remember what it felt like to be twenty years old.  All of them had waged wars beyond their years and Oliver for one couldn’t imagine life as a typical twenty-something.

“What was your biggest worry?” he questioned, eyes darting up to meet hers.  “Before all of this?”

Felicity laughed, but there was no humor in it.  “I don’t know,” she breathed, taking a step closer to him.  “Figuring out how I was going to make my student loan payments with the measly wages they were paying me at Queen Consolidated.”  And then she met his eyes, hers going wide in a mild panic.  “I mean, not that your family’s company pays its employees poorly, just that MIT didn’t exactly come cheap and--”

Oliver reached out, taking her hand in his, and effectively cutting off her speech at the contact. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re, um, starting to get good at that phrase,” she countered, stumbling over her words as she met his gaze. “Guess you won’t have much practice anymore.”

“I never meant--” he paused not knowing how to tell her everything he wanted. “If I could leave with you I would. If you have ever believed anything from me, believe that.”

She gave him a small nod, and he wondered just what she’d say if she allowed the words to fall out. Instead he stepped closer, until the fabric of her thin skirt brushed against his pant legs in the light breeze.  “If I asked you to do something for me, would you?” he asked.

“Depends,” Felicity answered automatically, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“On what?” he asked.  He knew he shouldn’t ask what he was about to, but he knew that if he didn’t they’d both regret it.

“On how illegal it is,” she said with a sighing laugh.  “Because I think I’ve had just about enough illegal activities to last me a lifetime.”  She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, glancing up at him through her lashes.

“It’s not illegal,” Oliver answered.  “But you should probably say no anyway.”

“I’ll do it,” she said, pulling on his hand until he met her eyes.  “Whatever it is.”

\---

Tommy was exhausted by the time they had made it to the hotel. And for once he’d been more than happy to flash the Merlyn name at the front desk, earning the last three room suite available. After everything they’d been through, it didn’t feel right not spending one last night with all of them together. Well all of them minus Oliver. 

He wasn’t sure where the man went, probably back to his own place, or maybe he had mob related things to take care of. Felicity didn’t explain, when she said he left. And there was something about her demeanor that kept Tommy from asking. Especially when she made it obvious she didn’t want to talk. Opting for watching the people around them, then making eye contact with him, Diggle, or Lyla. 

He told himself it had just been a long day. That taking on Waller had them all feeling rattled to their bones. But it was more than that. He felt the different charge between them, even if he couldn’t name it. There were things he’d never be able to tell the others. Things he’d done to protect them all. And he couldn’t help wishing Oliver was still with them so he could ask him what came next? How do you allow yourself to move forward, when you give up your soul for someone else? It was an ironic twist, how very alike they turned out in the end. And because of that they were further from each other than ever before. 

Diggle and Lyla had already retired to their room, taking the one closest to the balcony. Lyla had tried to play it off as wanting the romantic view. But he knew it was a better vantage point if someone decided to strike. Part of him wanted to tell them not to bother, the chance that Waller would come after them was little to none. But Tommy couldn’t give himself away. 

“Want to watch a movie?” He asked Felicity, as she sat on the other end of the couch, her attention pulled from her tablet.

It was a simple question, but it felt so strange on his lips. Like the normalness of it didn’t fit with their lives anymore. But he wanted it back, he wanted to remember what it felt like before all this started. 

“I think I’m going to head to bed,” Felicity replied, pursing her lips. “It’s been…”

“A long day,” he finished with a nod, wishing he could think of something else to add. Something to remind her that he was there for her no matter what. But anything he could think to say would be tainted with a lie. “I get it.”

Felicity stood, before moving around the suite. Tommy tracked her movements until she reached the door to her room, and she turned back to him.

“Tommy,” she took a deep breath, meeting his eyes. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. I knew for a couple weeks that Oliver didn’t seem eager to come home, and I should have told you when we met back up.”

“Ollie’s decisions are his own. You couldn’t have talked him out if this any more than I could have,” he replied, feeling a sinking weight at his own choices. “If anyone should be sorry it’s me. I dragged you into this and put you in danger. I should have left it alone.”

For a moment he thought she was going to continue into her room and leave their conversation stagnate like so many other things. 

But Felicity was still facing him, taking a deep breath before she spoke. “We stopped Waller from using Oliver for her own wants. No matter the choices he makes now, we freed him from a person who wouldn’t have let him make any. Don’t treat that like it’s nothing.” 

Tommy blew out a long breath, and watched as she turned and headed into her room. 

“Felicity,” he called after her, causing her to turn back to face him. “I have something I have to tell you.”  He swallowed hard, not sure he was doing the right thing in making her carry this burden with him. But was there a right and wrong anymore? Maybe not, when they'd all been colored with so many shades of grey.

Her brows knit into a tight furrow and she leaned against the door frame. “What is it?” She asked, her voice taking on a panicked tone. 

Tommy scrubbed a hand down his face, unable to meet her eyes. “Before I tell you, you have to know what she was planning.” He looked up cautiously and they locked eyes. “She wasn't going to stop. Not ever.”

“Tommy what did you do?” She took a few steps toward him, her eyes turning glassy. “Please tell me you didn't.”

“It was the only way,” he sighed, dropping his gaze to his lap, where his hands sat wringing together. “She was talking about releasing some code you wrote in college. And starting turf wars here in Moscow. She was angry and bitter that we had bested her and she wasn't going to give up.”

He expected her to yell, to be angry and scream that she was never going to talk to him again. But she seemed calm.

“I wish you'd let us all handle this together, Tommy. This… It's not fair to you. All you wanted was to get your best friend back and now you're what? Part of the team we were working so hard to keep Oliver from?”

Tommy swallowed hard. The weight of what he'd done wasn't lost on him. “Ollie’s been through so much. And I wasn't thinking. All I knew was that if I could save him from her, I had to. I wish I could explain it better--”

“I understand,” she said, although she didn't elaborate further. “I think… I think I'm going to go to bed.”  She gave him a sad smile before turning and heading into her room. The door clicked behind her, hollow and final. 

Tommy’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he couldn’t help the wave of fear crashing over him at the sound. She wouldn’t call him now would she? Not so soon after their deal had been struck. Not when he was so close to Lyla, Diggle, and Felicity. It wouldn’t make sense. 

But when he pulled his cell out, he was able to breath easier. Because the familiar number that flashed on the screen meant it wasn’t Waller.

“Hello counselor,” he greeted putting as much cheer into his voice as he could muster. “What’s with the late night phone call?”

“It’s only late for you Tommy. In fact it’s actually lunch time here,” Laurel answered him. And he could hear the smile in her voice.

“My apologies. So to what do I owe this call? I mean the last time you called me it was to yell.”

“I didn’t yell,” she countered, but there was a laugh to her tone. “But no I was calling to see how your event went? I told Moira about it earlier this week. I hope that was okay?”

“It was a success, in a manner of speaking,” he said as he migrated to his own room. “And I think her and Thea really enjoyed themselves. So I should thank you for that. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen them both smile that much.”

“It never stops, does it?” Laurel’s voice dropped. “The pain of losing someone I mean.”

“I don’t think it’s suppose to,” Tommy replied, letting his mind wander to his mother, and even to Oliver as well. “But every once in awhile it doesn’t hurt as much, and then with a little more time it hurts even less than that. But there’s no quick way out of it. Kind of sucks that way.”

“Maybe the grief helps us,” she paused, almost like she was thinking over her own words before she let herself continue. “Maybe it’s through the pain that we find out who were meant to be.”

He smiled at the thought. “I hope you’re right. Because most days I don’t feel it.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she said. “Look I have to run. My lunch break is nearly over and I have a ton of work to do. But we’re still on for dinner when you get back right?”

“Yeah,” Tommy nodded, even if she couldn’t see him. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Okay, talk to you later.”

When she hung up he dropped his phone next to him on the bed, feeling sleep begin to fog his mind. He couldn’t do anything about the choices he’d made, good or bad. But he also knew he couldn’t dwell on the past forever. He had to move forward. No matter what.

\---

Felicity wasn’t sure about a lot of things; she wasn’t sure if she could live with this choice Tommy took on himself, she wasn’t sure if she’d tell him about her promotion from his father, she wasn’t sure how she’d ever go back to normal life after everything they’d all been through together these last few weeks, and she wasn’t sure why she felt an aching in her chest when she thought about leaving Oliver behind.  But she was sure about one thing: when he’d asked her to meet him later that night, even though he hadn’t explained why, she was sure that she had to go.

She didn’t like the idea of hiding it from Tommy, especially after what he’d just told her. But even though Oliver hadn’t asked her to keep it a secret, the look in his eyes outside the embassy earlier that night had told her that it should stay between the two of them, at least until the next morning.

Closed in her bedroom of their suite, Felicity fell into the mattress, letting the bedding envelope her like a warm cocoon.  She wouldn’t be meeting Oliver for a few more hours and although she felt like she might need more time than that to work through everything that had transpired that night, she let her mind relive some of the bigger events.

She could hear Tommy speaking to someone in the common room but couldn’t summon the energy to find out who it was.  Probably just Diggle or Lyla, if she had to guess.  It wasn’t long after that everything went quiet and she heard the faint click of Tommy’s bedroom door beside hers.

A tiny ding sounded from her tablet and it lit up with an incoming message.  It was a text from Oliver saying that he was in the lobby waiting for her.  Apparently whatever he’d left the gala to do hadn’t taken as long as he’d expected.

With a groan, Felicity forced herself off the soft bed before stripping out of her dress and shimmying into a pair of skinny jeans and a sweater.  She pulled on a pair of boots, took a deep, steadying breath, and opened her bedroom door.  The common space was quiet and dark and Felicity moved quickly and quietly through the area, pausing only for a moment at the door as she recalled Oliver’s words to her earlier.

Why should she have said no to him, when all he’d asked was that she meet him later?  And why hadn’t he told her anything more about what he wanted to talk about when they did meet?

Oliver had already left her with more questions than answers, so even if they couldn’t resolve everything before she boarded her plane for Starling City, she knew she at least had to hear him out.

It felt strange, leaving the hotel room and taking the elevator alone.  She’d spent so long being around other people, people she relied on for protection, that she felt exposed now that she was alone.  The doors opened, depositing her on the ground floor, where Oliver sat in a chair at the far end of the lobby, his eyes meeting hers instantly.

She felt herself smile, despite the circumstances, and his eyes lit up, even if he didn’t return her smile.  He stood as she made her way toward him.

“Hi,” she said quietly, clasping her hands in front of her uncomfortably.  “So what did you want to talk about?”

Oliver gave a small shake of his head and then held out his hand to her.

Felicity’s brow furrowed instantly, glancing down at his hand and then back up to his eyes.

“Don’t you trust me?” he asked, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Trust you?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes playfully. “After the number of times I’ve been shot at, chased, surveilled and threatened because of you?”

The banter was nice, but she knew it wasn’t what either of them needed.  There were things that needed to be said, even if she didn’t know what those things were just yet.

Oliver reached out, taking her hand and leading her out the front door before she could protest further.  He ushered her into a car, and she settled into the passenger seat as he rounded the car and got behind the wheel.

“I don’t really think those things,” she said quietly, darting a glance at him.  “And you have to know that I--”

“Felicity,” Oliver said, starting the engine as he turned to look at her.  “I know what a joke is.”

“Right,” she said, blowing out a breath.  She wasn’t sure why but things felt different, strained, like all of the words they both wanted to say were stuck hanging in the air between them, both unable to voice them.

He didn’t offer her an explanation about where they were going, merely navigated the streets with ease, his thumbs tapping against the steering wheel out of nervousness.  The drive wasn’t long, and she felt a sense of deja-vu as she got out of the car and stood in a darkened alley.  But she didn’t place it until Oliver had swung open an emergency exit door and held it open for her to walk through.

The club.

“What are we doing here?” she asked, placing her hands against both walls of the hallway to guide her through the dark.  She paused a few steps ahead when the door clicked shut and Oliver’s footsteps echoed down the hall.  He found her a moment later, his hand ghosting down her arm until he’d clasped her hand in his again.

The place was empty and it smelled like stale alcohol and a mixture of cigarette smoke and the fog they pump through machines in clubs.  He led her out onto the dance floor and stopped in the center of it, turning to face her.

“Do you remember what you told me about why you came here?” Oliver asked, by way of avoiding her question.

Felicity shrugged, her loose blonde waves falling over her shoulder.  “I wanted to forget,” she said with a sigh.  “To just feel normal.”

Oliver nodded, pulling a small device from his pocket.  It was a remote and he hit a button on it, summoning all of the swirling, flashing lights.  With another press of a button the music came over the loudspeakers, drowning out everything else.  She could feel the pulsing rhythm of the bass in her bones and Felicity felt her eyes flutter closed as Oliver pulled her close, swaying them softly to the beat.

They danced slowly, close and connected, despite the hypnotic, upbeat tempo of the electronica track.  Oliver’s hand pressed against her back, holding her against him and she placed her head on his chest, against his heart, letting it’s beating attune to the rest of the music.  It drowned out everything else, the dread she felt for Tommy working with Waller, the worry about Malcolm and what he needed her for at his company, the thoughts of going home without Oliver, and all the dark things he would have to do when he remained in Moscow, and how she and Tommy would move on, leaving him behind.  She closed her eyes, feeling tears slip down her cheeks, because even if the music drowned out everything else in her head, her heart still felt like it might burst from the emotion of it all.

When all the tracks had played through, the room fell silent and they slowed to a stop on the dance floor.  Felicity took a step back, feeling the emptiness of the space between them after being pressed against him so closely.  Her eyes fell to the floor.

“Th-thank you,” she said quietly, barely trusting her voice to not betray her.  She darted a look up at Oliver, whose own eyes were full of an intensity which she couldn’t quite identify.

“No, Felicity, thank you,” he answered, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Her eyes slipped closed at the contact.

“I always thought that it was Akio that saved me,” he continued.  “And in some ways it was.  But I know that I can do this alone, and that is in part because of my time with you.”

Felicity shook her head, meeting his eyes again.  She was filled with more than emotion now-- it was a resolve, a protectiveness, and a thousand other little things she couldn’t describe.  “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know two things.”  She paused, making sure he was understanding the weight of her words.  “You are not alone, and I believe in you.”

She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.  Oliver’s arm snaked around her back, holding her to him once more.  And when he whispered “we should get you back to the hotel,” all she could do was nod.

 


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loves,  
> Today is the day. We've been sharing this story with you guys for about eight months now, and I'm not going to lie I was skeptical sometimes that we'd ever make it to the end of the journey. But alas we have. And I won't keep you from it.
> 
> -Kayla

 

Oliver wished he felt better after leaving Felicity back at her hotel the night before. He had hoped it would bring closure to their rocky relationship. But in truth, the longer he spent away from her, the more raw and pained he felt by letting her go. He would have given anything to make the night drag on for as long as possible. But reality had set in, and he needed to deal with what would come next. 

The knock against his door pulled him from his murky thoughts, and he groaned as he lifted himself off the couch. He had meant to move to the bedroom once he got in, but the second he’d sat down, he couldn’t bring himself to move again. 

He wrenched the door open to find Ivan standing on the other side, coffee in hand. 

“I thought you could use some,” Ivan explained, handing him a cup before he pushed inside the apartment. 

“No by all means come inside,” Oliver muttered before taking a long drag of his coffee. “What are you doing here so early? It’s not even eight.”

“Anatoly called me this morning,” Ivan said evenly. “Said you choose your group last night, and named me second.”

He brushed past the man to make his way into the kitchen. The evidence of Felicity’s presence was still all over his apartment. Lipstick smudged mugs in his sink, half eaten toast on the counter, and a basket full of dirty clothes sitting on one of the barstools. He took a pained look around the space. But he knew even after he cleaned he’d still remember her in this place. There was no way to erase the amount of time she spent here. Maybe he should consider moving.

“That was the deal,” Oliver replied, trying to to focus on the emptiness of his space. “You helped me more than I expected. So you deserve to be second. Hell I’d give you my job if I could.” 

“I think you will do well as captain. You have the strength to handle what needs doing,” Ivan paused, as he took a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. “But I think you need to finish something before it’s too late.”

Oliver took the folded scrap from his hands, opening it slowly. “What is this?”

“I had our own techs lookup your friend’s flight information. If you leave soon you can say goodbye before they leave,” Ivan explained with a srug. “If you do not, you might regret it later.”

“I can’t,” was his automatic response. The words so familiar to him he hardly noticed he’d said them aloud. There were a hundred reasons he couldn’t: the dangers, Anatoly, how he’d left things between him and Felicity last night. That was his goodbye. More bitter than sweet. More pain than soothing words. It’s all he deserved in the end. Tommy and Felicity earned the right to leave the country without anymore pain following them. 

Ivan quirked his brow at Oliver. “When we first met, you remember this?”

“Gun in the face of a kid, not something I’m likely to forget,” but even Oliver couldn’t muster the anger those thoughts used to produce in him. “What about it?”

“You are alive today because you saved Sofia,” Ivan replied settling his back into the counter. “Before I had left on that trip, I did not say goodbye to her. And while we waited to see if you would return with her, I thought back to our last time together, and I couldn’t remember anything we said to each other. Regret is a stone that sinks you in your lowest moments. Do not let this be one of yours. Say your goodbyes. It will bring more peace than pain.”

He finished off his drink, dumping the cup into the trash can, as Oliver watched him closely. “I must leave now. See you later,  _ boss _ .”

Oliver rolled his eyes as Ivan saw himself out. He picked up the paper though, eyeing the flight number closely. It wasn’t a question of want. He’d have been halfway to the airstrip if it had been. But could he justify it in the end? Could he live with seeing their faces one more time, knowing it would be the last? It was different than the night before. The night held a promise of morning that hadn’t come yet. But now? If he went and watched them get on the plane, the plane that could easily take him back to the life he so desperately wished he could reclaim. He’d have to watch things end. It would be like the final nail in the coffin of Oliver Queen. The last pieces of his humanity flying away with them. 

Before he could decide, he remembered Tommy’s face from the night before. How sad and despondent his best friend looked after everything. He knew it was his fault. That he was the one to shoulder the blame for getting Tommy’s hopes up and then crashing them down again. 

It was one thing to whisk Felicity off to the club, and let them get lost in an evening of moments, but Oliver couldn’t even bring himself to form any sort of goodbye to Tommy. The man had spent months looking for him, throwing himself into any and every situation he could find, just because he was too stubborn to give up hope that his best friend was alive. That kind of loyalty was rare and Oliver knew he didn’t deserve it. But Tommy did. 

So he was going to say goodbye. Not because he wanted it or needed it. But because Tommy did. The man walked through hell for him, and even if there was just one more chance, and even if it left the kind of scar Oliver could never heal, he was going to make sure the last time Tommy saw him it was under better terms than the night before. 

He got ready in record time, driving the streets until he made it to the private airstrip. Only Malcolm Merlyn would insist that his plane not take off from a regular airport. He would have worried about avoiding the elder Merlyn if Ivan’s intel hadn’t stated Tommy and Felicity were flying out on a separate flight. So at least he could breathe a sigh of relief at that.

Oliver called ahead to the main gate so he could just drive in, one of the perks of taking on his full Bratva responsibility. Apparently just hinting at being in the Brotherhood got you into places. Which was a good thing. He didn’t want to linger anywhere with a lot of cameras. 

He saw them standing there before he even came close enough to stop. He felt a pang in his chest at the sight of his friends. Felicity had her head buried in her phone, while Tommy leaned against the hood of their rental car. He couldn’t see Diggle and Lyla, but he assumed the couple were close. The foursome had been through too much for the bodyguards to take off before they even made it out of Russia. He may not trust well, but he did trust enough to believe that.

He pulled the car to a stop, which caught Tommy’s attention first. He turned towards Oliver, squinting in the morning light. Felicity tensed, taking a set closer to their friend. But Tommy’s lips were moving and she calmed down visibly before Oliver climbed from the vehicle. 

Neither of them seemed to know what to say at his arrival, and Oliver was starting to think he'd driven all the way over there to stare at Tommy and Felicity from five feet away. But he hadn’t and he knew it was up to him to make this moment mean something. 

“I couldn’t let you go without saying goodbye.”

\---

After the night before, Tommy wasn’t sure what to expect.  Oliver hadn’t been seen or heard from since he’d slipped out at the embassy and Tommy decided against asking Felicity where their friend’s apartment was.  If Oliver wanted to say goodbye, surely he would make a point of finding them before they’d left.

Standing on the tarmac at the private airstrip was beyond surreal for Tommy.  Just a few short days prior, he’d been on that same tarmac with Lyla being gunned down and chased by ARGUS.  By Tommy’s new employer.

Bile rose in his throat thinking about Amanda Waller, about the way she’d been so easy to press their buttons, how she’d known all the right things to exploit.  He’d consider her brilliant if she weren’t so despicable.  But he knew he’d done them all a favor in agreeing to work with her.  Sure, Lyla would find out if she went back to work there and he’d come clean with Felicity, though she still hadn’t said anything about it, but no one else needed to know.  Oliver had been through so much, would continue to put himself through only god-knew-what, that taking Waller off his friend’s plate seemed like an easy decision, no matter how imprudent.

Tommy strode forward, crossing the distance between him and Oliver, pulling him into a quick hug.  He’d never admit that he doubted Oliver would actually show in order to say goodbye, but the thought had been there in his mind, whispering disbeliefs since the moment he’d woken that morning. Oliver proved him wrong, and he couldn’t help feeling relieved at that. 

“I’m glad we’re parting on better terms than in Hong Kong,” Tommy said, trying and failing to hide the emotion in his voice.

Oliver nodded, ducking his head to avoid eye contact.  “I think you got to see less of this city than the last one you tracked me to,” he answered.

Tommy shrugged.  “I don’t know about that.  We drove past an awful lot of landmarks in that high-speed chase.  Not that I could identify any of them.”  He paused, wishing he could find the words he wanted to say.  “Maybe you should let me choose the destination next time,” he said with a wavering grin.  “Your taste in cities is kind of shit.”

Oliver laughed at that, nodding again before meeting Tommy’s eyes.  “Just not anywhere near the North China Sea.”

“Deal,” he answered.  “Maybe somewhere tropical.  Although I’d be willing to bet you’d find a way to make a deal with the Bermuda Triangle if you tried hard enough.”  The words came out more bitter than he’d intended, but he’d be lying to say that he felt anything but regret and bitterness at having to leave Oliver behind, yet again. 

Tommy blew out a long breath, trying to make sure he was able to say everything he needed to say.  Would this be it? The final time they ever saw each other?  There was no way of knowing, so perhaps it was best to assume that this was the end.  

“Take care of yourself,” he said, gnawing on the inside of his cheek.  “You know how to reach me and Felicity if--” he cut himself off.  What could they ever offer Oliver that he couldn’t do for himself? “Just be safe, okay?”

Oliver nodded in reply. 

“And there’s always the paper in Paris,” her voice behind him was resolved and Tommy turned to find her walking toward them.  Her eyes were glassy but she looked more composed than he felt.

“I can’t believe that worked for you even one time,” Oliver joked, but he sobered immediately.  “But thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Felicity’s arm linked through Tommy’s; he wasn’t sure who was supposed to be more support for who, but he was grateful for the strength she seemed to lend him.  With a hard swallow, Tommy hooked a thumb over his shoulder.  “I think I’m going to just… give you two a minute.”

He gave them both a quick squeeze on the shoulder before turning back to where John and Lyla stood near the car.  Tommy wasn’t sure what this goodbye meant, but he knew deep down that things would never be the same for any of them once they left Moscow.  How would he go back to life after this?  Everything for the last few months, few years really, had been wrapped up in finding Oliver.  What would get him out of bed in the morning from now on?

Tommy wasn’t sure, but there was a frenzy within him at the endless possibilities.  Life would move on, much as it had before, and no one at home would even be the wiser.  Moira, Thea, Laurel-- they’d go on with their lives, grieving and forcing themselves to move on, never knowing the truth.  Was it really better than the alternative?  The wondering that would plague his and Felicity’s days, knowing that Oliver was out there.

“How you holding up, man?” Diggle asked, nodding toward where Felicity and Oliver stood.

“I feel like I’m losing him all over again,” Tommy sighed.  “Probably because I am.”

Dig shook his head.  “You can’t look at it like that,” he answered.  “Because who knows what the future holds.  Plus with Waller off your backs now, who's to say you don’t happen to end up in the same city at the same time somewhere down the line?”

Tommy considered this and nearly responded, when John’s phone rang.

“Hey Carly,” Diggle said, answering immediately.  “What’s up?”

Tommy only caught pieces of what the woman on the other end said.  Something about someone named Andy.

“I talked to him last week,” John said.  “Everything sounded fine.”

There was a pause as he listened, his brows knitting further and further together into a scowl as Carly spoke.  Her voice grew more animated and panicked the longer she talked.

“I’m just finishing up a job,” he said into the phone.  “I can change my flight and leave for Afghanistan this afternoon… No you were right to call me.  I’ll look into it.”

Tommy glanced at Lyla.  Her hand had gone to John’s arm and their eyes were locked in silent conversation, even as the phone stayed glued to his ear.

“I’ll call you as soon as I can.”  He paused.  “And Carly, don’t worry.”  John hung up and then jammed his phone into his pocket before moving toward his bag.

“Johnny what’s going on?” Lyla asked, her voice laced with concern as she followed him around the car.

“It’s Andy,” he answered, his mannerisms turning rigid and soldier-like in a single instant.  He picked up his bag, shoving it in the back seat.  “He missed their last video chat and when she got in contact with one of his superiors she was told he’d gone rogue and was missing.  She doesn’t know anything else.”

“I should come with you,” his wife said.

Tommy fished the keys of the rental from his pocket, tossing them over the car to Diggle as soon as they made eye contact.  Dig nodded, ducking into the car and starting the engine before standing again.

“You should stay with them,” he said, giving her a quick kiss.  “Get them home safe.  I’ll be in touch as soon as I know anything.”

Lyla sighed but nodded, clearly not happy with that arrangement.  Another bout of anxiety hit Tommy and he frowned, moving toward Lyla as John climbed behind the wheel and closed the door.

“You don’t think it’s--” Tommy started.  He didn’t want to believe it was true, but he also knew Waller was not a woman to be trusted.

“She wouldn’t,” Lyla said, shaking her head.  “Not this soon, and not when she’s still given me the option to come back to work with her.”

Tommy felt something inside him relax the slightest bit.  Would this be his go-to theory every time something happened from now on?  He couldn’t be sure.  But there was one thing he knew for sure, in any scenario where the devil you knew was better than the devil you didn’t, no matter how much insight he thought he gleaned, Amanda Waller would always be the devil he didn’t know.

\---

Felicity didn't know what to do when Tommy left them alone. She hadn’t expected to see Oliver again. Not after all the stolen moments he’d given her the night before. 

In a way she’d been grateful when he dropped her off outside the hotel, leaving the car idle while she made her way into the building. They’d left a lot of things unsaid. Things that she knew would bug her the longer she held them. But still, he’d given her the kind of goodbye she needed. With an unspoken promise that maybe, just maybe it wasn’t the last time they’d be close to one another. 

The gratitude lasted until she had closed the door to her room, breathing in the relief that no one had noticed her absence. She didn’t want to share her last moments with Oliver. She felt like if she’d spoke of their evening it would somehow disappear completely. Like a dream that faded before you could recall all the details. So she sat at the desk in the corner of her room and wrote it all down, committing it to paper in case it faded from memory. But the longer she wrote the more her words changed. No longer was she recalling her time with Oliver, but instead composing paragraphs she hoped he’d one day read. 

It was well after four in the morning when her hand began to cramp and she’d managed a few pages of run on thoughts. Everything she wished she’d had the chance to say to him, but for one reason or another she held back. When she’d finished she stuffed the pages into one of the hotel’s complimentary envelopes, and shoved it into her coat pocket.

But last night wasn’t their last moments together. And the words they left floating between them had another chance. She could breath life to them, if only she could find a way to make herself talk. 

“You’re not usually this quiet,” Oliver said, attempting to add in a teasing tone. But she saw through it, through him. Like she had from the moment they met. 

“I’m not sure what to say.” A lot of their relationship had centered around secrets, she wanted there to be truth between them at last. “There’s not exactly a handbook for situations like this.”

He nodded along with her, his eyes never stilling enough to meet hers. “Felicity I… I wish things could be different, I do.”

She hated how absolute the statement sounded. Nothing should sound that final, not when it came to something as fluid as life. Why did this have to be the thing they couldn’t change? 

“If I could go back--”

“But we can’t,” she added with a solemn look. 

Before Felicity could stop herself she reached for him, her hand resting on his cheek. She remembered all the times she used to reach for him, and how he’d pull back, or turn ridged beneath her touch. She acted like she didn’t notice than, because she didn’t want him to feel exposed. But part of her wished he’d pull back now. Because she didn’t want to have to be the one who lost contact first. 

His lips pressed against her palm and she could feel herself beginning to crumble. She didn’t want a tearful goodbye, she didn’t want the last image he had of her to be grief stricken. But she also couldn’t pull back yet. Not until she pressed her lips to his one last time. 

It was simple and over way too soon for her liking. But when he pulled back she made sure there were no tears in her eyes. 

“Thank you.”

“You said that last night,” she replied, taking a deliberate step back. Because one of them had to do it. One of them had to have the strength to walk away. 

She did have one thing she wanted to do though, something she knew she had to the second she saw him get out of his car. She pulled the envelope from her pocket, letting the edges make indents against her fingers. 

“What’s this?” Oliver watched her carefully as she handed it over. She didn’t think she could find the words to explain what she meant by the letter, not fully.

The sound of the rental starting up pulled her attention behind her, just in time to see Diggle driving off. She shot Tommy a confused look, but he was talking to Lyla. 

“Felicity,” Oliver took a breath, holding the letter between them. “I should probably let you guys go. It’s a long flight.”

“Okay,” she said, hating the feeling of leaving him there. “Could you do me a favor first?”

“If it’s you asking, I’ll do it,” he said with a small smile. 

“Don’t read the letter,” she felt the words flood from her before she could stop herself. And she almost laughed at the cute look of confusion on his face. “I mean not yet. Not unless-- not until you decide to come home. There’s things in there I want you to know, more than anything, but not until you know your life is yours to choose. I can’t have you walking around with this in your head when you need to-- do  _ things _ for the Bratva. Because I know what that will do to you. So promise me Oliver.”

He licked his lips, dipping his head in a low nod. “I promise.”

He seemed to be waiting for something more to happen. The way he stood, lips moving without words to speak. 

“Goodbye Oliver,” she said turning away as she walked towards the plane. 

Everything in her told her to look back, just once, before she left him. But she knew the second she did she wouldn’t be able to get on the plane. 

She barely heard anything over the blood rushing in her ears. But she did hear his car door close, the roar of the engine as it started up. And she had to force herself to move as she listened to the vehicle get further and further away.

Tommy was next to her in an instant, the look on his face holding fear. It took her a beat to realize why, that he was afraid she was going to fall. To the ground or apart. It didn’t matter which. But he was confused when she didn’t. 

“Are you okay?” his hand hovered at her back, steadily guiding her to the steps of the plane. 

Was she okay? Could she ever be okay? She was breathing, still had full motor functions. But she knew better than anyone that okay covered more than just physical wellness. She had survived the worst things her life had thrown at her so far, and had come out the other end stronger. Why should now be any different?

“I will be,” she said, taking in a deep breath as she turned to Lyla. The woman had a look of pride on her face. But she could see there was concern there too. And Felicity wasn’t naive enough to think it was just for her. 

But she recalled Diggle’s departure, and knew that’s where her friend’s thoughts were. “Why did John leave?”

“Something to do with his brother,” Lyla replied, trying to mask her worry with a smile. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

Felicity didn’t want to doubt her friend, but nothing of their recent lives made her believe in the possibility of fine. But she could hope for the best, and maybe thing would turn out alright for the Diggles. Someone had to be allowed a miracle in this. 

“We should get home,” she said, sending Tommy a smile. “It’s time.”

He still looked like he was worried about her, but instead of questioning her he stood up, offering a hand for her to stand too.

“Together?” His eyes shone as he reminisced on their long ago promise. And Felicity fought to keep a passive smile on her face. 

Could she agree to it now after everything they’d been through? Would her lips even form the word the same way she once did? There was only one way to know for sure.

Maybe she couldn’t predict what would happen in the future. But she did know that if she was going to get through all the pain and trauma that came with the last few months, it wasn’t going to be by pushing her best friend away. 

“Together,” Felicity agreed. And somehow she knew that whatever came next for them. The only way they’d get through it was sticking to their promise, and the only way to do that was if there were no secrets left between them. 

Tommy had reached the top of the steps as he looked back to her, concern reappearing on his face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she said. “But I need to tell you something.” 

 


	36. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you read that right. 36 of 36. The epilogue. The end of the line. Honestly, the end of this story has me much more emotional than I expected and I am so grateful to every one of you for the support and love you've shown us. It's always bittersweet, letting go of something you love, but knowing that it will always live on. That's what the interwebs are for, right? And that's what all of you lovely readers are for too. So thank you. We love and appreciate each and every one of you.
> 
> xoxo,  
> Cassie
> 
> Here we are at the end. I know that, personally, we wouldn't have made it this far without all of our loyal readers. You guys showed up every week, ready for us to kind of ruin you emotionally. Writers write so they can share with others, and you guys took it in with such force. So from the bottom of my heart thank you. Thank you from your words of encouragement, for your rants, and your support. -Kayla

**Epilogue**

 

_ Two Years Later _

Felicity frowned at the email she’d just received marked URGENT in bright red letters from Malcolm Merlyn.  She allowed herself a calming breath before opening it, it’s contents summoning her to his office immediately.  It was hard to believe she’d been working for him as long as she had, especially considering she found him vile and untrustworthy and about a hundred other terrible adjectives.  She listed a few off in her head as she made her way to the elevator; words she’d never utter out loud against her boss, but it consoled her a little, knowing that they were right there on the tip of her tongue if she wanted to.

It had been two years of meetings with him, of secret projects that were ‘Need to Know’ and she wasn’t on the list of people who did need to know.  She did bits and pieces of things for Dr. Markov, never knowing what they were working toward.  It was an exhausting, frustrating way to work, and she often worried about what it was they were making, even if she never asked.

The elevator dinged at the top floor and Felicity moved down the hallway, pausing at the desk outside Malcolm’s office while his secretary announced Felicity’s arrival.

His office door opened immediately and he smiled brightly at her.  “Miss Smoak,” he said, ushering her inside.  “You got my email, good.”

She hated his pleasantries, the way he could put on a fake smile and sell it like a million dollar bottle of water in the desert.  He closed the door behind them and moved to his desk.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Merlyn?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even.  Even now, after all this time, whenever she looked at him all she saw was him threatening to expose Oliver to the world.  Luckily their face to face interactions were brief and infrequent.

Malcolm rifled through files on his desk until finding what he was looking for.  He held out a sealed manila envelope to her.  “I need you to bring this to Queen Consolidated for me.  I considered a courier, but I needed it delivered by someone I trust.”

Felicity nearly laughed out loud.  She was positive this man had never trusted a single person his entire life.  But she kept her mouth firmly shut and averted her eyes, opting instead to just nod.

“It’s to go directly to Walter Steele,” he continued.

“The CEO?” she questioned, meeting his eyes.  “What is it?”

“It’s private,” he snipped, and then buttoned his suit coat and smoothed it down.  The action seemed to have calmed him, or forced him into composure, because when he spoke again the anger had dissipated from his voice.  “It’s imperative that it gets to him today.”

Felicity nodded.  “I’ll bring it right over.”

She let herself out of the office and headed for the elevator.  She didn’t often let herself think about the company just a few blocks away with his name on top, despite driving by it every day to get to and from work.  It was too difficult to think about how those weeks had changed her life, when her outward appearance needed to stay the same.  To everyone in her life, except Tommy, she’d been on a business trip, she’d fixed security breaches at MG locations worldwide.

And for once, she was glad that her friends in Starling City were basically nonexistent.  It would have been too hard to lie to them all, to act like nothing had changed, like she hadn’t been fundamentally altered by her time away.

The air was brisk for October, and the sky was dark and angry, threatening rain.  But she opted to walk, regardless.  She needed time to clear her head so that she didn’t walk into Walter Steele’s office and picture the night that had changed her life-- the night she’d run into Tommy, and nearly run into Oliver too, in that same building.

Security at the front desk gave her a visitor pass and waved her through.  She recognized them from her time working at QC but she didn’t recall their names.  Her phone chimed in her pocket and Felicity fished for it, tucking the envelope under her arm as she stepped into the elevator.

She smiled at the text message from Tommy, confirming they were still on for their movie night.  Every Friday they still got together for dinner and movie marathons late into the night.  He was the one person she could tell anything to and even though she never explained to him everything that had happened with Oliver, Tommy seemed to pick up on it. Despite everything that had changed, she was grateful that their friendship hadn’t. Especially after she told him about his father’s proposition. 

Tommy had been furious, wanting nothing more than to march up to Malcolm when they returned home, and have it out with him. And it took her almost the whole flight to calm him down. In the end they settled on her continuing to work for Merlyn Global to keep an eye on whatever Malcolm was up to. Not that she’d been very good at discovering anything at all. 

_ 8PM, _ she wrote back.   _ You pick the movies, I’ll bring the food. _

Felicity exited the elevator, surprised by the flurry of movement on the floor.  There were more people than usual running around, phones ringing that weren’t being answered, hushed whispers between people she passed in the hallway.  With a furrowed brow, she continued toward the desk at the end of the hallway, where the Executive Assistant to the CEO sat.  The woman was engrossed in something on her computer screen and Felicity felt her own eyes roll; she couldn’t imagine ever having a job as inane as that.

She cleared her throat, causing the seated woman to meet her eyes with an annoyed glare.

“I have something for Mr. Steele,” Felicity said, holding out the envelope as proof.

“He’s not in right now,” the woman said, her attention pulled back to the computer screen.

“I was sent here by Malcolm Merlyn?” Felicity huffed, as if the name might hold some special power.  “He said it needed to be delivered to Mr. Steele immediately.”

“He left early.  Family emergency,” the woman answered.

Felicity’s brow furrowed.  “Is everything alright?”

The woman gave her a pitying look.  “You mean you don’t know?”

Felicity shook her head, and the assistant flipped her computer screen around so Felicity could see what she’d been watching.  A Breaking News Story on channel 7.  She turned the volume up.

“Oliver Queen is alive.  The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago, five years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed the Queen’s Gambit.  Queen was a regular tabloid presence--”

“Oliver…” Felicity breathed, her eyes welling with tears.

“You knew him?” the assistant asked.  “Crazy right?  How do people just come back from the dead?”

Felicity shook her head.  “I didn’t… I mean, I never met him before the accident.  It’s just… their family must be…” she could barely get a coherent thought through her head, let alone out of her mouth.  Five days ago he was discovered.  But he hadn’t reached out to her, and Tommy hadn’t said anything about it.  Did he even know?

“Can I leave this on his desk?” Felicity asked, gesturing to the office.

The woman nodded, turning her attention back to the news story.  Felicity was glad for some privacy, despite it being just a glass wall that separated her from the assistant.  She dropped the folder onto Walter’s desk and then braced herself against the wood ledge of the desk top.  Oliver was back.  He had come home.  Too many emotions ran through her, mingling together and making her head spin.  She closed her eyes, and the memory of his lips against hers sent her stomach swooping and her nerves tingling.  It felt like it was just yesterday all over again, despite the days and weeks, months and years that had separated them.  She’d be lying if she said she’d never imagined this day, the day that Oliver came back to Starling City, and they locked eyes again.

But it had been two years, and who knew what had happened to him in that time, or why he’d come back now.  Oliver had always made it sound like Anatoly had staked a claim on the remainder of his life, so how had he gotten out?  And why hadn’t he let them know he was coming?

Too many questions filled her mind, questions that might never get answered, questions that she wasn’t even sure she deserved to ask.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, quickly dialing Tommy’s number as she moved back out of the office and down the hall.  It rang only once before he answered.

“Felicity,” he said, sounding a bit breathless.

“Tommy, did you see--” she asked, her voice dropping off.  She could barely bring herself to utter the words aloud, afraid it was some sort of twisted joke, and that if she said it aloud, it would simply cease to be.

“I just did,” he said, his voice tight.

“We should cancel tonight,” she breathed.  “You have to go see them. Be with Thea and Moira.”

There was a brief pause on the other end.  “No, I think they need some space,” he sighed.  “And I think we could both use a friend right about now.”

Felicity nodded, feeling her throat tighten with emotion.  “I’ll see you at eight,” she answered.  Pushing out through the doors of QC, Felicity forced a deep breath into her lungs.  It was a moment more than two years in the making for them, but she felt more conflicted than ever.  In some ways she worried that everything would change, and in other ways she feared that nothing would.  Had he read her letter? She could still recall nearly every line she’d written to him.  But she hadn’t been a part of his life before he’d left five years ago, and things were different now, for both of them.

His face flashed on a TV screen inside a nail salon as she passed and Felicity felt her stomach clench again, much in the same way it had the moment she’d stepped onto Tommy’s jet when they’d left two years ago in search of Oliver.  It was a feeling that told her that there was no going back now, that everything was about to change.

\---

Tommy took his time doctoring his coffee, acting like he wasn’t paying attention, but he was focused. He kept his gaze trained on the man seated in front of him, a smile playing on his lips.

“You sure I can’t get you something to drink Mr. Connors?” he asked taking a slow sip of his own coffee. The stuff tasted closer to tar than coffee, but appearance was all he was going for at the moment. “Or something to eat?”

“I thought ARGUS was above the good cop/bad cop routine,” Connors spat back, pulling again at the chains that cuffed him to the table. “You can hold me here as long as you want. I told your pals, I’m no snitch.”

Tommy nodded along with him, setting his cup down in between them. He had read the man’s file at least six times over the last two days they had him in custody.  But this was Tommy’s first sit down with him. Three other agents had already taken a stab at Connors, one of them quite literally if the bandage on the man’s arm was any indication, but no one had managed to get the intel they needed. 

“You’re trying to be strong, I respect that,” Tommy said folding his hands in front of him. “But the people you’re involved with Mr. Connors, they don’t care about you, only what you can do for them. I’ve known a lot of people who fit that description, and it only ends with buzzards picking at you in the desert.”

Connors wasn’t looking at him, but Tommy knew the man was all present. He looked rigid in his seat, like he was preparing for the next beating to come. Tommy almost wished that was his strategy for getting people to break. But Waller had already sent in her best at that. Now she needed something else. 

“Fine you don’t care about about your own life, I get it.” Tommy took the file in front of him flipping the cover open, and pulled out a surveillance photo. Connors looked at the picture, taking in the sight of the three people, a young woman, not more than twenty, and a little boy and girl. He tried to lunge across the table, forgetting probably for the first time that he was also chained by his feet too. 

Tommy waited until he settled back in his seat before he continued. “What about them Mr. Connors? What happens to your sister and her kids when your employers decide that you’re expendable? Because they will. If not this week, then a month from now, or three. And when they come for you, there won’t be anyone there to protect  _ them _ .”

Connors stared at the photo, his eyes glassing over. Tommy knew he had him right where he needed him to be. He just needed to reel the man in. 

“We can offer your family the protection they need, you as well,” he added, not that he needed to tempt the man like that. Simon Connors looked out for his family first. And that’s why Tommy knew he was going to take the deal. “But we need to know where your employers have set up shop.”

“If I tell you, they will kill my sister and her children.”

“I swear to you they won’t,” Tommy pressed, leaning closer. “I already have an extraction team on the ground, you give me the location, and your family will be here within three hours. But if you don’t I can’t stop the men who will come for them.” 

Connors took one last look at the photograph, before he turned his eyes back to Tommy. “Fine. I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

It only took a few more minutes with Connors to get the base’s location, and any intel on the guards the Triad employed for the region. When he exited the interrogation room he was met by a friendly face and a to-go cup of coffee.

“I don’t care what anyone else says about you Lyla, you are not that bad,” he teased as he took a long drink. “Thank you for this.”

“This is not a friendly gesture,” Lyla replied as they walked down the hall towards the main hub. “It is a bribe so you tell me how you found Connors family so quickly.”

He smirked taking another sip. “Look if you had read his file, then maybe you would have done a better job.”

“I’m going to slap you.” But he could hear the light tone in Lyla’s voice. There was never any malice to her threats. They’d been through too much together, not to be able to joke every once and awhile. 

She continued on about his tactics and apparent magical ability to read things others missed, but Tommy was only half listening as he pulled out his phone to send a text to Felicity about their plans for the evening. 

After everything they’d been through, he could breath a little easier knowing he wasn’t lying to her about this part of his life. 

_ Of course movie night. What kind of barbarian would say no to The Mummy and the Mummy returns.  _

At least they still had their tradition, something that cemented normal into their lives. It was the one thing Tommy wouldn’t cancel on. His father, always? A date maybe? But movie night with Felicity, not on his life. 

“You’re really not going to tell me are you?” Lyla said pulling his attention from his phone. 

Tommy just shook his head with a grin. “His bank records showed a weekly withdrawal of $268. Always on a Friday, right before 5pm. There are 16 daycares within a thirty mile radius of where we picked up Connors. Three of them take cash, but only one of them has the same price rate Connors kept withdrawing. The man was just trying to give his niece and nephew a better upbringing than he or his sister had.”

“So you tracked them via daycare records, nice.”

“Nice? Because I feel like crap for using the man’s family to get intel that we might sit on for three months and still not do anything about.”

“It was a necessary evil Agent Merlyn,” Tommy turned to see their director standing just a ways in front of them, her arms folded across her chest. Over the last two years Tommy had learned very little about his boss, but he would say with great authority that Amanda Waller had one stance, and it always resembled a lioness on the prowl. 

“I was under the impression you were still out of the country, ma’am,” Tommy replied, trying to keep his tone from being too icy. 

He was good at his job, there was no doubt about that. But he’d never forgive Waller for the way he got it, or for the things she was still holding over him. 

“I wanted to oversee Mr. Connors release myself. He did give up the location of the Triad’s current warehouse correct?”

Her meaning wasn’t lost on Tommy, but he didn’t want to believe it. “I told Connors we’d keep him and his family safe if he gave me that info. You know what the Triad will do to them if we let him go.”

“If Mr. Connors didn’t want his family involved in illegal dealings he should have thought of that before working for a criminal organization,” Waller said as she moved closer to them. When she stopped just in front of Tommy, she dropped her voice to a low hiss. “And you would do well to remember who’s in charge here, Agent Merlyn. You do not get to make deals with criminals.”

“So you’re sentencing a man and his family to death to save face.” He knew Waller enough to know that when she made a decision she always kept to it. The closest he’d ever seen her to giving in was one night long ago in Moscow. And since then he knew Waller would never let herself be manipulated like that again. 

“There are people in this world who deal only in extremes. You and I both know that it would be naive to think that anything less than extreme measures will stop them,” Waller said, taking a deliberate step back. 

Tommy would have replied with something harsh about the only extreme being Waller’s methods, but something caught his eye on the flat screen in the room next to them. 

It was a flash of a picture, a blip really. But he had a feeling cemented in his core, and he was sure it wasn’t a mistake. He pushed into the room, not even startling the agent who was watching the local news cast. 

“For those of you just tuning in, Oliver Queen has been found alive. Reports have been flooding in all morning, about the Starling City resident, who went missing five years ago. Queen was found by fisherman earlier this week. But our sources tell us they were waiting for DNA conformation before notifying his family.”

Tommy couldn’t move. He barely registered Waller and Lyla following him into the room. And if they had tried to say something, he didn’t hear them. 

Oliver was back? He let himself be found? It was the only real explanation. But it wasn’t an explanation at all. Because it didn’t make any sense. After everything he’d went through to get the Bratva to help that night? After giving up his freedom to help save all of them, why would he come home now? 

His phone buzzed in his hand and he didn’t even need to look at it to know who was calling. 

“Felicity,” he said waiting for her response. 

Her voice was low, but he could hear the same things he felt mirrored back. The fear, the confusion, the hint of something more below the surface. 

“I just did,” he replied, feeling the slow simmer of anger. Why shouldn’t he feel angry? The last time they saw Oliver he made it clear he couldn’t come home, and if he ever did he’d get in touch with them first. But he hadn’t tried. No calls, no emails. Not even an ad in the stupid paper. 

He didn’t tell Felicity, but he checked it every week, just to make sure. Her next words echoed in his head.  _ You  _ have to go see them. Not we. Because how would Felicity explain to the Queens her connection to Oliver. She couldn’t, not without making all their lives more complicated than they already were. 

“No, I think they need some space,” he said, hoping she didn’t hear what he really wanted to say.  _ I need space. _ he thought, sucking in a deep breath. He wasn’t ready to see Oliver. “And I think we could both use a friend right about now.”

They had an unspoken rule to keep all Oliver talk to a minimum after Moscow. At first because Tommy could see how affected she was by leaving Oliver in Russia. Somedays he wondered if it hurt her more than it had hurt him. She wouldn’t admit it to him, but he knew she’d fallen for Oliver. Maybe not fully, and maybe she wasn’t even aware of how much. But he could see it in her everyday. 

Eventually they didn’t bring up Ollie because other things happened. They’d moved forward with living. And bringing up Oliver wouldn’t have helped them both live in the present. 

They agreed to still meet for movies and dinner. And when he hung up he dropped his phone back into his pocket. 

Waller was gone, presumably off to make another agent’s life miserable for a few minutes. But Lyla was watching him closely, waiting to see what he did next. 

But he didn’t know what was next. Everyday since he’d come home had been like a built in road map for the next. But Oliver coming home shifted everything. For once he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do.

“You gonna be okay?” she asked, concern and curiosity melding together in her own brand of friendship. 

But he didn’t have an answer. All he could do is turn back to the TV, watching the headline scroll across the screen over and over again.

“We are partners, Tommy,” Lyla said moving a step closer to him. “You know that I have your back no matter what. And I don't just mean with Oliver.”

Tommy slid his eyes over to where Lyla stood, her attention also on the television in front of them. He nodded once. “Meet me outside in ten.” A plan was formulating in his mind, one that made sure Waller got what she wanted with Connors and Tommy was able to keep his word to the man. 

\--- 

They’d found him in the North China sea, on an island whose name in Mandarin means Purgatory.  The first time he’d been on Lian Yu the name seemed fitting, a place between life and death, a waiting room before eternal damnation.  He wasn’t sure it made sense this time around, not when he’d chosen it.  Certainly no one would ever believe that someone could choose a place like that, a place that held more ghosts than living creatures.  But he had chosen it, because at the end of the day, it was no more than he deserved.

Lian Yu the first time was a punishment of fate, a crucible that turned a carefree billionaire playboy into something else.  He hadn’t known back then exactly what he was meant to become, hadn’t known what Amanda Waller and the Bratva and even that island were going to force him to become.

But he knew now.

Oliver closed his eyes against the harsh overhead light of the hospital room.  The smell of antiseptic and bleach burned his nostrils, forcing memories back into his mind that had been long-since forgotten.  Memories of the reason he’d left Moscow in the first place, abandoned the brotherhood and his oath to them.

“Mr. Queen?” A voice came from behind him.  It was the first time he’d heard his name used in more than a year and he flinched at the sound of it.  He wasn’t sure who ‘Mr. Queen’ was, not anymore.  It didn’t belong to anyone he recognized, and he certainly didn’t deserve the title.  His father, Robert, was Mr. Queen.  Oliver was just an imposter, a phantom with a face that resembled someone people used to know.

With a slow turn, he met the eyes of a short, dark skinned doctor in a lab coat.  She looked at him with curiosity, with pity.  She reached across the space between them, but Oliver flinched back.  A year since anyone had said his name, he thought bitterly, and just as long since he’d been touched with any sort of compassion or concern.

The doctor took another step forward.  “I just need your vitals,” she explained, pausing.

Oliver nodded, granting her permission.  With another step she came to rest directly in front of him, and Oliver dropped his gaze to the ground, tensing at the feeling of her fingers pressing against his wrist.

“As far as I know, you’ll be getting out of here tonight,” she said, keeping her voice light and hopeful.  “Your mother has done everything in her power to get you back to Starling City.”

His mother.  The more Oliver thought about it, the less ready he felt to go back there.  He remembered what it felt like to see Thea at Tommy’s party all those years ago, and how hugging his best friend had forced feelings back into his heart that he’d suppressed for longer than he could remember.  His mouth went dry and a lump formed in his throat.  He had decided to go back, but was he really ready to face the things that needed to be faced?

Did he really have the option to not be ready anymore?

“Anything you’re excited to see or do when you get home?” she prodded.

Oliver shook his head.  Excitement wasn’t a luxury he’d granted himself in a long time.  All that remained was his mission, the one he owed his father to complete. Robert had been counting on Oliver five years ago to do what he himself hadn’t been able to do.  The journal burned a hole in his pocket now.  When he’d finally figured out what it’s contents meant, it hadn’t left his side.

His father had left him a list of names, men and women who were paramount in the corruption of Starling City, a city that Robert and Moira had spent their lives building and bettering.  Oliver would find a way to make them pay for their sins against the city.  He hadn’t realized when he’d first stepped foot on Lian Yu that the island would force him to become the man that he needed to be in order to complete that mission.  But he knew now.

After another moment of thick silence between them, the doctor gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and left him alone.  His mind dredged up memories that he recalled more often than he’d care to admit.  They were always little snapshots, snippets of moments that he’d used to keep himself alive the last two years.  The golden yellow halo that the sun cast over Felicity’s head, the quizzical smile that Akio gave him every time Oliver said something the boy didn’t understand, the sound of Tommy’s laughter- pure and full and unaffected by the darkness that surrounded them in Moscow, the ease of which Felicity fit into his arms, the feel of her breath ghosting across his face.

His eyes snapped open, swallowing hard as he suppressed the memories.  He couldn't give himself over to those thoughts anymore, no matter how much they’d sustained him the last couple of years.  They’d been the only light he’d had in the darkness that surrounded him in Moscow and beyond.  Without their presence he’d been forced to rely on his recollection of them, no matter how much it ripped his heart.  He pictured them happy, living their lives, and somehow, that had been enough.

There was a knock on the door and a man in a suit entered.  For a brief moment, Oliver felt himself tense, but there was nothing distinguishingly ‘agent’ about him, so he focused on the man, instead of formulating a plan for the easiest way to kill him and hide the body.

“Mr. Queen,” he said, extending his hand.  When it was clear that Oliver wasn’t about to shake it, he let his hand fall back to his side.  “I’m Nathan Taylor from the US Embassy and I’m here to get you home.”

Home.  They kept saying that like it meant something to him, like he had one of those.  But the streets of Starling were filled with strangers, just like every other place he’d been in the last five years.

“We have a temporary emergency passport issued by the State Department and there’s a private jet waiting at the closest airstrip.”

“And where is here, exactly?” Oliver asked.

This seemed to startle Nathan, who met his eyes with a curious expression.  “Laoag, Mr. Queen,” he answered.  “The Philippines.”  He paused, and then added.  “Sorry, they just said you hadn’t said anything since they brought you in.  Something about the trauma of it, I think.”

Trauma.  Oliver shook his head, surprised by how ill-at-ease he felt with their diagnosis of him.  Not a single person in that room, that hospital, had any idea what sort of ‘trauma’ he’d been through.  They had no right to label him.

“When do we leave?” he asked, instead of furthering whatever inane conversation this man appeared to want to have.

“Right away, sir,” he said, holding out his arm for Oliver to exit the room.  “Your belongings are already loaded on the plane.”

It was a strange feeling, being in the back of a town car, stepping foot onto a private jet- the juxtaposition of how he’d lived the last year of his life on the island overwhelming him more than he’d expected.  The lights of the city, of the island quickly faded into the inky black night and Oliver leaned back against the padded leather seat.  He’d shaved in the hospital and his face was clean, his clothes warm, his feet covered in socks and shoes.  

Lian Yu the first time had been a crucible, a test of strength, of power, of will to live.  But the second time had been different- a punishment of his own design.  Perhaps purgatory was the right word after all, a place to cleanse, to purify, to purge.  It was that place that allowed him the strength of character, the willpower to return home, despite everything he knew he’d find there.

The plane touched down in Starling just before dawn, before the world woke.  Oliver stepped into the small bathroom of the airplane, looking at himself in the mirror for a long moment.  He cleared his throat, bracing himself against the sink.

“My name is Oliver Queen,” he said, eyeing himself carefully in the mirror.  “For five years I have had only one thought, one goal- survive.  Survive and one day return home.  I am returning, not the boy who was shipwrecked, but the man who will bring justice to those who have poisoned my city.”

With a deep, steadying breath, he pushed himself away from the mirror and into the main cabin of the plane.  He moved swiftly and with purpose down the aisle until he reached the door.  The steps had been lowered and the sun was peaking over the horizon line in the distance.  The first step was a shaky one, but each with each stair he descended, the resolve within him grew.

_ To do that, I must become someone else… I must become something else. _

The final thought reverberated through his head like a war cry.  And with more conviction than he thought he could muster, Oliver stepped out onto the black asphalt, his first step into Starling City, and into his new life.


	37. Sequel News

**Story Update**

As you know this story is complete, but if you’re ready for some more adventures with Oliver, Felicity, and Tommy, the sequel is out and going strong.

You can find it here: <https://archiveofourown.org/works/11106885/chapters/24785469>


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